Women's Words and Voices with the BBC Concert Orchestra
Hear music inspired by poets Emily Dickinson and Alfonsina Storni, including the world premiere of David Knotts’ Guitar Concerto.
Led by Principal Conductor Bramwell Tovey, the programme features contemporary classical music written and inspired by women composers and poets.
Emily Dickinson has long been an influence on Knotts, and early in his career he set her poem ‘I shall keep singing!’ to music.
Now this admiration finds expression in a concerto composed for superstar guitarist Craig Ogden, which he plays for an audience for the first time this evening.
Mezzo-soprano Tara Venditti* performs Bryce Dessner's song cycle Voy a Dormir, which uses four poems by the trailblazing Argentine writer Alfonsina Storni.
Trailblazing females composers in film music feature with Debbie Wiseman's soundtrack from Wilde and Rachel Portman's Emma.
The concert is presented and features poetry readings by award-winning actress Nina Wadia.
Performers
- BBC Concert Orchestra
- Bramwell Tovey conductor
- Craig Ogden guitar
- Tara Venditti mezzo-soprano *
- Nina Wadia presenter
Repertoire
- Shirley Thompson: Wildfire
- Hannah Kendall: The Spark Catchers
- David Knotts: Guitar Concerto (The Alabaster Chambers) (World premiere)
- Interval
- Debbie Wiseman: Suite from the sound track to Wilde
- George Fenton: Suite from Shadowlands
- Rachel Portman: Closing titles from Emma
- Bryce Dessner: Voy a dormir for mezzo-soprano & orchestra (European premiere)
Need to know
For ages 8+
* Please note change of soloist from originally advertised.
The headline of the event has also been altered.
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.
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Multi-buy discount
Classical Music: Spring/Summer 2022
As part of our classical music multi-buy offer, book multiple Spring/Summer 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 February until June 2022 inclusive. Offer can't be combined with Autumn/Winter multi-buy.
Venue
Queen Elizabeth Hall
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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.
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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. The phone outside the Changing Places toilet will connect you with a member of staff, who can provide you with the key. 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.
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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.
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