Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

BritSymphCup

@britsymphcup.bsky.social

240 followers 350 following 1.8K posts

Originally, World Cup of 500 British & Irish symphonies. From Jan 2025 #britsymphyear, tweet a day exploring 20/21C British/Irish classical music. Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7BWeL8ZjWAQ4L1aPdtOGOK?si=kBxDnR42SwGZnHv0dfua4Q&pi=RQ5cU2bVSVGcA

open.spotify.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 23h

Live video: youtu.be/OGMaucIwfVw?...

DARYL RUNSWICK: Concerto for Piano and Nine Instruments

YouTube video by Daryl Runswick

youtu.be

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 23h

Concerto for Piano & Nine Instruments stands as a culmination of Runswick’s eclectic musical journey—merging improvisation, classical structure, & contemporary technique into a compelling & celebratory statement.

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 23h

His career spans roles as a performer, arranger, educator, & composer, including a decade as Head of Composition at Trinity College of Music.

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 23h

The concerto reflects Runswick’s lifelong pursuit of musical synthesis. Educated at Cambridge & steeped in the jazz scene of Ronnie Scott’s Club, he has worked with artists ranging from Cleo Laine & John Dankworth to Pierre Boulez & John Cage.

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 23h

The 1st recording was captured live at its premiere & released on the album The Eternal Song by Prima Facie Records in 2018. The album also includes Runswick’s Variations for String Orchestra (1980) & Gentle Do Not Care to Know... (1998), showcasing the breadth of his compositional voice.

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 23h

The work is built on a fractal compositional technique, where every detail of the texture derives from a 5-note motif. Inkeeping with Runswick’s improvisational ethos, the soloist is required not only to interpret a written score but also to improvise, echoing the traditions of Mozart & jazz.

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 23h

Though not commissioned in the traditional sense, the concerto was conceived as a personal milestone, celebrating Runswick’s multifaceted career in jazz, classical, & experimental music.

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 23h

It was performed by pianist Aleksander Szram, I Solisti di Londra & conducted by Runswick himself.

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 23h

Born #OTD in 1946, English composer & musician, Daryl Runswick. His Concerto for Piano and Nine Instruments premiered at Cadogan Hall, London, on 6 June 2017 as part of the composer’s 70th birthday gala concert. open.spotify.com/track/75D39V... #britsymphyear

Concerto for Piano and Nine Instruments: I. Driving

open.spotify.com

1 1 4

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 1d

Correct!

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 1d

Sorry folks - it's obviously 100 years asgo - not 80!!!

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 1d

Score video: youtu.be/03IH246VP1U?...

Ralph Vaughan Williams - Flos Campi

YouTube video by olla-vogala

youtu.be

1 1

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 1d

Flos Campi remains a singular achievement in Vaughan Williams’s output, challenging performers & listeners alike with its unconventional form & haunting beauty.

1 1

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 1d

The work’s exoticism & emotional ambiguity—part pastoral elegy, part mystical rhapsody—reflect his deepening interest in spiritual & philosophical themes.

1 1

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 1d

Composed during a period of stylistic transition, Flos Campi followed Vaughan Williams’s Pastoral Symphony & preceded his oratorio Sancta Civitas. At age 53, he had fully developed his mature musical voice, blending modal harmony, French impressionism, & English folk influences into a unique idiom.

1 1

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 1d

The first recording of Flos Campi was made in 1952 by Robert Hull with the Cornell A Cappella Choir & violist Francis Tursi. A notable later recording was released in 1990 by Hyperion Records, featuring Nobuko Imai (viola), the Corydon Singers, & the English Chamber Orchestra under Matthew Best.

1 1

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 1d

Vaughan Williams used these verses as thematic inspiration, though they are not sung; instead, the chorus vocalises wordlessly, functioning as an instrumental texture.

1 1

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 1d

It reflects Vaughan Williams’s fascination with the viola’s expressive capabilities. The piece is structured in 6 continuous movements, each prefaced by a Latin quotation from the Song of Solomon, a biblical text rich in erotic & mystical imagery.

1 1

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 1d

Flos Campi is one of Vaughan Williams’s most enigmatic & sensuous compositions, scored for solo viola, wordless chorus, & small orchestra. The work was written for the pioneering Tertis as a personal tribute to his talents.

1 1

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 1d

Premiered #OTD in 1925 (80 years ago), Flos Campi by English composer,
Ralph Vaughan Williams. Launched by Lionel Tertis at Queen’s Hall, London, with Sir Henry Wood, the Queen’s Hall Orchestra & a choir from the Royal College of Music. open.spotify.com/track/0pmzr6... #britsymphyear

Flos Campi

open.spotify.com

2 1 6

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 2d

youtu.be/mnIQ92TC5J8?...

"Energy" - Dr. Robert Simpson.

YouTube video by Peter Whitehead

youtu.be

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 2d

He went on to write other notable works for brass band: Volcano (1979), a study in eruptive musical energy; The Four Temperaments (1982), a psychological suite; Introduction & Allegro on a Bass by Max Reger (1986–87), a contrapuntal homage; & Vortex (1989), a spiralling, intense final statement.

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 2d

In the context of Simpson’s life, Energy exemplifies his belief in music as a moral & intellectual force. Known for his uncompromising artistic integrity and resistance to trends, Simpson saw brass band music as a democratic and powerful medium for serious composition.

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 2d

The 1st commercial recording of Energy was made in 1972 by the world champions, the GUS (Footwear) Band & Stanley Boddington, released by EMI Records. The piece has since become a staple of band repertoire, admired for its structural clarity & emotional intensity.

BritSymphCup @britsymphcup.bsky.social · 2d

This concept reflects Simpson’s broader compositional interests, particularly his fascination with musical processes & transformation.