
Southwell Festival Chamber Soloists
Alison Rose soprano
James Baillieu, Libby Burgess piano
Purcell Fantasia upon one note
Turnage Two Baudelaire Songs
Purcell A selection of songs arr. Britten
Adès Catch
Knussen …upon one note – after Henry Purcell
Britten String Quartet No 2 Op 36
The 17th century English composer Henry Purcell was the outstanding musical figure of his age and his genius has inspired composers ever since. This journey through Purcell’s musical inspiration begins with his remarkable Fantasia upon one note and ends with Benjamin Britten’s second string quartet written “in homage to Henry Purcell”: the epic finale of this major piece of 20th century chamber music is a theme and variations entitled “Chacony” – the old English word used by Purcell to describe a particular kind of variation movement. In between is a sequence of beautiful and theatrical works by younger British composers.