St James, Islington

Poetry of George Herbert
An exploration of composers’ responses to the words of 17th-century metaphysical poet George Herbert, with a focus on the music of leading contemporary composers Judith Weir and Alec Roth.

Judith Weir: Love bade me welcome
J. D. Jones: King of Glory, King of Peace
Alec Roth: I will move thee
Alec Roth: Men & Angels
George Herbert: The Flower (recitation)
Alec Roth: The Flower

Interval

Music from the Bach family
An iconic motet by Johann Sebastian Bach sits alongside beautiful music from brothers Johann Michael Bach and Johann Christoph Bach (cousins of J. S. Bach’s father), uncovering the ways in which older members of the Bach family helped to shape J. S. Bach’s mastery of vocal writing.

Johann Michael Bach: Herr, ich warte auf dein Heil
Johann Sebastian Bach: Komm, Jesu, komm, BWV 229
Johann Christoph Bach: Merk auf, mein Herz

Interval

Songs of the Birds
Corvus reveals how musicians and poets have drawn inspiration from their avian friends for hundreds of years, moving seamlessly from 20th century masterpieces to music by living composers, arrangements of traditional folk songs, and underscored poem recitations.

Ralph Vaughan Williams: Silence and Music
Linda Hirschhorn: I have a million nightingales
Percy Bysshe Shelley: To a Skylark (recitation)
Becky McGlade: To a Skylark
Caroline Shaw: and the swallow
Jessica Powers: Celestial Bird (recitation)
Roxanna Panufnik: Celestial Bird
Edward T. Chapman: The Three Ravens
Karine Polwart, arr. Baz Chapman & Freddie Crowley: Follow the heron home