World premiere to be held in Ripon Cathedral to mark 50th anniversary of music legend's death
Ripon Cathedral is to host an extraordinary musical event as part of the 50th anniversary of the death of classical music legend Sir Arthur Bliss.
Taking place on Saturday, July 19 at 8pm, the historic Grade I Listed buildingwill host the world premiere of Bliss’s Viola Concerto as part of the Ryedale Festival.
Featuring the Orchestra of Opera North conducted by Tom Fetherstonhaugh, as well as highly-regarded viola soloist, Tim Ridout, the work began life as a Viola Sonata written in 1933 for the famous violist, Lionel Tertis, before being redeveloped into a concerto on an orchestral canvas.
Born in London in August 1891, Bliss became one of the leading English composers and conductors of the first half of the 20th century, as well as Master of the Queen’s Music.
He died on March 27, 1975.
The current Bliss 50th anniversary commemorations are a collaboration with The Bliss Society and Bliss which have already seen performances by Harrogate Symphony Orchestra conducted by Bryan Western of the Cello Concerto with Lily Dai as soloist in March and the Suite from the film music to H. G. Wells’ Things to Come in June.
The Ripon Cathedral event will also include works by Vaughan Williams (The Wasps Overture) and Elgar (Enigma Variations).
The same weekend will afford an opportunity to hear the Bliss performed in its original version as a Viola Sonata at the Wesley Centre in Harrogate by Canadian violist, Maxime Despax with Christopher Atkinson (piano) on Monday, July 21 at 1pm.
Rounding off Harrogate district’s contributions to the Bliss 50th Anniversary will be a song recital in St John the Baptist Church in Knaresborough on Saturday , August 9 at 7:30pm as part of the Knaresborough FEVA Festival by Matt Secombe, the great grandson of Sir Arthur Bliss and the grandson of Sir Harry Secombe.
The latter performed in St. John’s Church in 1991 when making a recording of the TV programme, Highway.
The concert programme will consist of songs by Bliss, Vaughan Williams, Rebecca Clarke, Amy Beach and Charles Ives.
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