Chineke! Orchestra: Song of the Prophets
Hear a call to action to fight climate change, performed to a live audience for the first time by Chineke! Orchestra.
Commissioned by Christian Aid, Song of the Prophets: A Requiem for the Climate was performed and recorded by Chineke! Orchestra behind closed doors at St Paul’s Cathedral and received its world premiere online in June 2021.
Four Black British composers each produced thematic movements, which together form a meditation on the climate emergency, as imagined from a theological perspective.
Beginning with ‘Creation’, written by Ayanna Witter-Johnson; followed by ‘Ruin’ by Daniel Kidane; ‘Recovery’ (by Shirley J Thompson OBE; and ‘Redemption’ by Roderick Williams OBE.
Each movement is interspersed with improvisations on traditional instruments (tabla, nyatiti, talking drums), played by musicians originating from regions in the Global South that are bearing the brunt of climate change devastation.
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint Georges, was known as one of the finest violinists and composers of his day, as evidenced in the Violin Concerto in G.
He was a contemporary of Mozart and there is renewed interest in this enigmatic figure who graced the courts and salons of 18th-century Paris.
The concert closes with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.1 in G minor (Winter Daydreams).
Composed when the composer was in his mid-20s, it was the result of a difficult writing process, but Tchaikovsky would later come to regard it as one of his best works
Performers
- Chineke! Orchestra
- Brandon Keith Brown conductor
- Adé Williams violin
- Rapasa Nyatrapasa Otieno nyatiti
- RENU (Renu Hossain) tabla
- Mohamed Gueye talking drums
Repertoire
- : Song of the Prophets: A Requiem for the Climate
- Ayanna Witter-Johnson: Creation (1st movement)
- Daniel Kidane: Ruin (2nd movement)
- Shirley Thompson: Recovery (3rd movement)
- Roderick Williams: Redemption (4th movement)
- : each movement is interspersed with improvisations on traditional instruments
- Meena Karimi: Dawn (European premiere)
- Bologne (Chevalier de Saint-Georges): Violin Concerto No.9 in G, Op.8
- Interval
- Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.1 (Winter Daydreams)
Dates & times
Price
- Standard entryFrom £15*
- Concessions25%**
* Excludes £3.50 booking fee.
Book as early as you can to ensure the best choice of tickets. Ticket prices may be adjusted without notice to reflect demand.
** Limited availability. Read about concessions.
Tickets can only be sold through the Southbank Centre and our authorised agents, and can't be resold. You can return your tickets to the Southbank Centre for a credit voucher up to 48 hours before the event. Tickets resold on any third-party platforms will become invalid.
Get presale tickets
Members get the first chance to book our entire programme of events, including go-down-in-history gigs, concerts with world-class orchestras, and talks from cultural icons and political giants.
Multi-buy discount
Classical Music: Autumn/Winter 2021/22
As part of our classical music multi-buy offer, book multiple Autumn/Winter concerts in the same transaction to receive a discount:
- 3 – 4 events: 10% discount
- 5 – 7 events: 15% discount
- 8 – 10 events: 20% discount
- 11 – 14 events: 25% discount
- 15+ events: 30% discount
Discounts apply to selected events from September 2021 until January 2022 inclusive. Offer can't be combined with Spring/Summer multi-buy.
Venue
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Our number one priority is the health and wellbeing of our visitors and staff.
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is open daily from 10am.
Our address is: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. The nearest tube and train stations within 5-7 minutes walk are Waterloo (Northern, Bakerloo, Jubilee and Waterloo & City lines) and Embankment (District & Circle lines). There are also lots of bus routes with stops 2-5 minutes from our venues. For more information on getting here by road, rail or river.
Pre-booking online is recommended. Check our website on the day for returns. There’s no need to print your e-ticket – just show your phone to our Visitor Assistants on entry.
Some free events don't require a ticket. Found an event labelled FREE on our website with no way to book? Simply turn up on the day.
If you don't receive your e-ticket
Your e-ticket will be sent to you seven days before the event date from [email protected]. If you don't receive your e-ticket, and it's not in your junk or spam folder, please get in touch.
More information
Find out all you need to know about tickets, including concessions, group bookings, returns, credit vouchers and more, via the link below.
Get an overview of the seating layout of Queen Elizabeth Hall by downloading our seating plan.
Toilets
An accessible toilet is located in the foyer.
A Changing Places toilet is located on Level 1 Royal Festival Hall next to the JCB Glass Lift, for the exclusive use of disabled people who need personal assistance to use the toilet.
The facility includes a height-adjustable bench, tracking hoist system, a centrally-placed toilet, a height-adjustable basin and a shower. Please visit the Welcome Desk on Level 2, Royal Festival Hall, where a member of staff can provide you with the key. You can also use the phone next to the Changing Places toilet to speak to a member of staff. The facility is open daily 10am – 11pm.
Cloakroom
The Queen Elizabeth Hall cloakroom is closed. You won’t be able to bring any bags over 40 x 25 x 25cm into the Queen Elizabeth Hall, so please leave large bags at home.
We're cash-free
Please note that we're unable to accept cash payments across our site.
For step-free access from the Queen Elizabeth Hall Slip Road off Belvedere Road to the Queen Elizabeth Hall auditorium seating (excluding rows A to C) and wheelchair spaces in the Rear Stalls, plus Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer and the Purcell Room, please use the Queen Elizabeth Hall main entrance.
To reach this entrance, enter the Royal Festival Hall via the Southbank Centre Square Doors. Take the JCB Glass Lift to Level 2 and exit to the Riverside Terrace. Turn right to find the Queen Elizabeth Hall main entrance.
You can also use the external lift near the Artists' Entrance on Southbank Centre Square to reach Mandela Walk, Level 2.
For access to the Queen Elizabeth Hall auditorium seating rows A to C and wheelchair spaces in the Front Stalls, please enter via the Artists' Entrance in the Queen Elizabeth Hall Slip Road (Level 1).
Talk to a member of staff at the auditorium entrance if you have a disability that means you can’t queue, or you need extra time to take your seat. They can arrange priority entry for you as soon as the doors open.
Please bear with us while we update our access map to reflect the refurbishment of the Royal Festival Hall’s Level 2 foyer spaces. The step-free routes remain the same.
From a snack with coffee to cocktails and fine dining, plus some of London's best street food – it's all here on the Southbank Centre site.