Tippett: A Child of Our Time

Featuring

Nadine Benjamin
Dame Sarah Connolly
Kenneth Tarver
Roderick Williams
Edward Gardner
London Philharmonic Orchestra

London Philharmonic Choir
London Adventist Chorale
Michael Tippett

Did you know?

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Critical Reception

A Child of Our Time was predicted to be a 'noteworthy musical occasion' before its premiere in 1944 and was later described by William Glock in The Observer as 'the most moving and important work by an English composer for many years'.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Tippett intended A Child of Our Time to focus on the 'archetypal' nature of the tragedy, representing the oppressed everywhere and man's perennial inhumanity to man, rather than specific characters or places.

Compositional Technique

Instead of traditional hymns, Tippett incorporated five Black American spirituals into A Child of Our Time to comment on the narrative, as he felt this music touched people regardless of their beliefs and echoed the fate of Jews in Nazi Germany.

Composition History

Michael Tippett's oratorio, A Child of Our Time, was inspired by Kristallnacht in November 1938, a Nazi pogrom against Jewish people, and the desperate act of Herschel Grynszpan, a Jewish refugee, who shot a German diplomat.

Performer Biography

Roderick Williams, a baritone and one of the soloists, was awarded an OBE in 2017 and was one of the featured soloists at the Coronation of King Charles III in 2023.

Compositional Technique

The oratorio A Child of Our Time is structured in three parts, similar to Handel's Messiah, with Part One having a prophetic character, Part Two unfolding the human story, and Part Three seeking hope and healing.

Performer Biography

Edward Gardner, the conductor, has been Principal Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra since 2021 and has extended his contract until at least 2028.