London Music Venue Celebrates A Century Of RSC Scores



Tomorrow night, the beautiful Baroque setting of St. John's Smith Square in London will play host to a celebration of a hundred years of music, specially written to enhance the Royal Shakespeare Company's stagings of Shakespeare's plays. Simon Over will conduct the Southbank Sinfonia as they showcase a programme of aural treats, never before performed in a concert setting, including Ralph Vaughan Williams' score for the 1913 staging of Richard II.

The music will be accompanied by readings from the plays by a cast of special guest actors, including Patricia Hodge, David Threlfall and Samuel West. 


Programme details

Southbank Sinfonia
Conductor:
Simon Over 
Special guest actors:
Patricia Hodge, David Threlfall, Samuel West, Lila Clements, Maggie Service and Benedict Salter

Vaughan Williams - Richard II
Berkeley - The Winter’s Tale
Williamson - The Merry Wives of Windsor
Jonathan Dove - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Rubbra - Macbeth
Wooldridge - The Tempest
Watson - King John

Four hundred years since his death, Shakespeare continues to inspire and beguile musicians. In this landmark anniversary year, we open a casket of treasures, delving into music written by noted British composers over the last century for productions by the Royal Shakespeare Company. Unperformed until now beyond the RSC stage, these scores reveal music of exquisite character and charm – none more so than in Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Richard II, receiving its concert premiere.
Alongside a cast of actors, including Olivier Award-winner Patricia Hodge and BAFTA-nominees David Threlfall and Samuel West, the orchestra will be unearthing melodies unheard for decades. So rarely are works by giants of the musical world rediscovered and performed afresh. Be enveloped by Shakespeare’s evocative words and the sounds they have inspired as a century of musical history is revealed.

There will be a pre-concert talk at 6.30pm
Bruce O’Neil, Head of Music at the Royal Shakespeare Company, reveals more about the company’s remarkable mission to brings its historic scores back to light and the musical gems unearthed.

For more information and to buy tickets click here.



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