Maxwell Davies: The Beltane Fire, The Turn of the Tide & Sir Charles His Pavan

Featuring

Sir Peter Maxwell Davies
BBC Philharmonic
Manchester Cathedral Choir
Manchester Cathedral Voluntary Choir
Manchester Grammar School Boys' Choir

Did you know?

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Composition History

The Turn of the Tide takes an evolutionary approach to convey its concern over environmental pollution, with sections depicting the flourishing of nature and its decline.

Performer Biography

The BBC Philharmonic, based in Salford, has roots in Manchester since its founding in 1934 as the BBC Northern Orchestra and broadcasts most of its concerts on BBC Radio 3.

Composer Biography

Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, one of the foremost composers of our time, lives in the Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland, where he writes most of his music.

Composition History

Sir Charles his Pavan was written to commemorate conductor Sir Charles Groves, who encouraged Maxwell Davies in his early years and whose concerts the teenage composer attended.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Maxwell Davies' music, spanning over five decades and a broad range of styles, always communicates directly and powerfully, whether in his symphonic works, music-theatre, or light orchestral pieces.

Composition History

Sunday Morning is Peter Maxwell Davies' only designated 'signature tune', written in 1994 to introduce the BBC Radio 3 programme 'Brian Kay's Sunday Morning'.

Composition History

The Beltane Fire, described as a 'choreographic poem', was derived from a ballet project that fell through and was premiered by the BBC Philharmonic on April 3, 1995.