Violin and director Katie Stillman

Purcell (ed. Britten) Chacony

Anna Clyne Stride

Britten Simple Symphony

Schubert Death and the Maiden (arr. Mahler)

Saturday 6 April 2024 7.30pm

The King's School, Macclesfield

Tickets: £27.00 | Under 30s £17 | Full Time Students and Under 18s Free

Schubert's string quartet Death and the Maiden, a masterpiece of the chamber music repertoire, is performed here in Mahler's arrangement for string ensemble. The title comes from one of Schubert's earlier songs in which a terror-stricken maiden begs death to pass her by. The music is correspondingly profound, often disturbing and full of startling dramatic contrasts.

Britten had completed his Simple Symphony by the time he was 20. Optimistic in tone, it forms a nice contrast to the Schubert and, like many pieces with 'Simple' in the title, is difficult to play. Britten was a great admirer of Purcell, whose brief Chacony opens the programme in an edition by Britten himself.

Anna Clyne is one of the foremost living British composers. She has served as Composer in Residence with several outstanding orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Philharmonia. Stride draws its inspiration from Beethoven's Pathétique Sonata, whose first movement octave leaps gave Stride its title.

Katie Stillman directs the strings of the NCO. She has an extensive career as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral principal. She is Associate Leader of Manchester Camerata and has appeared as guest leader with Opera North, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the RLPO among others.

Tickets linked HERE: https://www.ncorch.co.uk