Britten, Variations on a Theme of Purcell (Young Person’s Guide)

Britten, Violin Concerto

Copland, Appalachian Spring

Violin Tasmin Little

Conductor Jason Thornton

Written during the Second World War, Britten’s Violin Concerto combines pathos and hope with extraordinary virtuosic and musical demands on the soloist and orchestra alike. His contribution to the canon of violin concerti is one of the greatest and most profound. The talents of Bath Philharmonia are also showcased in Britten’s virtuosic tour-de-force for orchestra ‘The Young Persons Guide’ performed at this concert without narrator.

Passionate that music was for and by the common man, Copland’s style combines folk-song and the sounds of rural America. The ballet music to Appalachian Spring is infused with the music of the people of the Appalachian Mountains including the famous Shaker Hymn ‘Lord of the Dance’.

Tasmin Little has firmly established herself as one of today’s leading international violinists. She has performed on every continent in some of the most prestigious venues of the world.

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