Chineke! Orchestra: Across the Divide
Be here for the world premiere of a dynamic new commission, written by Jill Jarman for Dame Evelyn Glennie and Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE.
The essence of this concerto for double bass and percussion is communication, how we convey meaning without words, bringing the ‘background instruments’ of the orchestra to the fore.
It was inspired by Nwanoku’s story of how, as a child staying with her family in Nigeria, she would sometimes wake in the night to the sound of distant drumming – the traditional means of relaying messages between villages – to herald a birth, celebrate an event and to warn of danger.
Chineke! and St George’s Bristol commissioned James B Wilson to write the work Free-man to commemorate the actions of Dr Paul Stephenson and others, who campaigned to end racial discrimination during the 1963 Bristol Bus Boycotts.
Free-man was first performed in May 2019 in Bristol, and tonight marks its London debut.
The programme includes the jubilant African Suite by Fela Sowande, one of the foremost proponents of modern Nigerian art music, as well as Dvorák’s enduring Serenade for Strings, one of the composer's most popular works.
Performers
- Chineke! Orchestra
- Odaline de la Martinez conductor
- Dame Evelyn Glennie percussion
- Chi-chi Nwanoku double bass
Repertoire
- Jill Jarman: Concerto for double bass & percussion (Across the divide) (World premiere)
- Dvořák: Serenade for strings
- Interval
- James B Wilson: Free-man (London premiere)
- Sowande: African Suite
Dates & times
Price
- Standard entryFrom £15*
- Concessions25%**
* Excludes £3.50 booking fee.
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** Limited availability. Read about concessions.
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Venue
Queen Elizabeth Hall
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