Composer

Britten and Tippett shared many traits: both were pacifists; conscientious objectors during the war; homosexuals, at a time when it was publicly outlawed in Britain; and both shared a love of older forms of music. Drawing on one of Corelli’s concerti grossi, Tippett’s Fantasia views the Baroque through modern eyes in this passing from darkness into light.

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British Iconoclasts

Royal Northern College of Music

Britten and Tippett shared many traits: both were pacifists; conscientious objectors during the war; homosexuals, at a time when it was publicly outlawed in Britain; and both shared a love of older forms of music. Drawing on one of Corelli’s concerti grossi, Tippett’s Fantasia views the Baroque through modern eyes in this passing from darkness into light.

In Britten’s sparkling setting for voice and string orchestra (initially for soprano, later tenor) this phrase from French symbolist poet Arthur Rimbaud becomes an enigmatic throughline amid the poet’s eccentric scenes. Lose yourself in Britten’s crystalline textures, and Rimbaud’s magical imagery: of boats battered by whirlpools of light, of jugglers and rogues, cortèges of russet and opaline.

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

A Child of Our Time is a powerful hymn for peace and humanity, brought to life through collaboration between West Australian Opera and the UWA Conservatorium of Music. This moving choral and orchestral work unites emerging student musicians and singers with professional artists, offering mentorship from the state opera company while showcasing the extraordinary talent of the next generation.

A Child of Our Time

The University of Western Australia

This year’s Featured Artist, baritone Roderick Williams OBE, will perform a unique recital in the round with pianist Christopher Glynn at Westminster Hall. For his program, entitled An English Song Winterreise, Williams has chosen English songs which reflect each of the 24 individual songs that make up Franz Schubert’s Winterreise to craft a unique musical journey. This curated song cycle will include works by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Benjamin Britten, and Gerald Finzi, as well as more modern works by Judith Weir and Errollyn Wallen.

Roderick Williams OBE, baritone and Christopher Glynn, piano: Recital in the Round

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Kaleidoscopic hues and big emotions sit side by side in this vibrant concert weaving together the Baroque era and the present day, directed by outstanding British viola player Lawrence Power.

Baroque Threads, Contemporary Colours

The Queen's Hall

City Halls

Holy Trinity Church St Andrews

For the young Benjamin Britten, a holiday in Prestatyn was the key to a new world of musical wit and invention. That’s the starting point for this colourful guided tour through the wild, wonderful (and often astonishing) universe of 20th century British piano music: masterpieces and miniatures by Britten, Warlock, Moeran and Tippett, all brought sparkling to life by virtuoso pianist and RWCMD artist-in-association Llŷr Williams.

Llŷr Williams: Britten & British Contemporaries 

Bute Park

“The world turns on its dark side. It is winter…” Music speaks to us most directly when it engages with its times – and 90 years ago, few young composers understood that better than Michael Tippett. Composed during the Second World War but provoked by decades of intolerance, A Child of Our Time feels as urgent now as it did then, and with Ryan Wigglesworth conducting the National Youth Choir of Scotland, it’ll make an unforgettable climax to the BBC SSO’s 90th Anniversary Concert.

90th Anniversary Concert: Sir Stephen Hough Plays Grieg's Piano Concerto

Bach’s Third Orchestral Suite

Wooddale Church

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

Waves play and waterfalls plunge, the still surface of a lake reflects the midday sun and an ocean duets with the wind in a concert with saltwater on its breath. Edward Gardner conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra in a programme of 20th-century orchestral sound-pictures. The mercurial moods of Debussy’s La mer and rolling waters of Sibelius’s The Oceanides find answer in the gentle rolling harbour of Ravel’s song-cycle Shéhérazade, performed – in a Proms debut – by mezzo- soprano Aigul Akhmetshina. Tippett’s last major work takes us inland to discover a glowing ‘lake full of song’.

BBC Proms: Edward Gardner conducts the LPO

Royal Albert Hall

The ION music festival is a festival with an embracing, open concept of culture in the heart of Europe - from Renaissance to pop, with a cappella art and great oratorios. It was founded in 1951 in the ruins of Nuremberg in the spirit of reconciliation. "There is peace" - that is the motto for 2025. It is therefore the ideal place for the moving oratorio A Child of Our Time , written in the face of the Second World War. The Munich Radio Orchestra is performing in Nuremberg together with the Bavarian Radio Choir.

74th MUSIC FESTIVAL ION

St. Sebald Church - Sebalduskirche Nürnberg

“We find no refuge anywhere” – what line could better describe the plight of all marginalized people than the verses from the epochal oratorio by the British composer Michael Tippett from 1944. As if through a musical magnifying glass, he looks at the man-made catastrophes of our time and offers hope for redemption – a musical plea for tolerance, humanity and justice.

A Child Of Our Time

Sacred Heart Church Munich

King George I, with a small assortment of aristocratic guests, sat in a boat floating up the Thames. Handel, and an orchestra, sat in another, entertaining the royal party with a new piece called, inevitably, Water Music.

Water Music

Holy Trinity Cathedral, Parnell

A Child of our Time was Tippett’s response to Kristallnacht, a Nazi pogrom against German Jews. In a unique, utterly touching musical language his oratorio explores the darkness of the world and of individuals. A powerful collective spirit is forged in the famous spirituals. 

London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Antonio Pappano

Barbican Centre

Experience the profound intensity and spiritual depth of Beethoven's "Choral" Symphony performed by the London Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Sir Antonio Pappano. This monumental event is set to take place at the Barbican on Sunday, 23 March 2025, at 7pm, promising an evening of unforgettable musical brilliance.

The concert will open with Michael Tippett's "A Child of Our Time," a moving oratorio lasting 66 minutes, which serves as Tippett's response to the horrors of Kristallnacht. This piece explores the darkness of the world and individuals, culminating in a powerful expression of collective spirit through its famous spirituals. Following an interval, the evening will ascend into the hopeful and soulful journey of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, "Choral," lasting 67 minutes. This symphony, commissioned by the Philharmonic Society of London and celebrating 200 years since its UK premiere, is a testament to Beethoven's genius, integrating the human voice to convey a message of unity and hope for the future.

Sir Antonio Pappano will lead a stellar ensemble including the London Symphony Chorus, soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges, and the London Symphony Orchestra through these heartfelt expressions of humanity. The concert is expected to conclude at approximately 9.40pm, including a 20-minute interval.

Tickets are available in a range of prices from £18 to £70, with a £4 booking fee applicable for online and phone transactions. Special discounts are available, including Wildcards for guaranteed entry with seat allocation on the day, multibuy discounts saving up to 40%, and special rates for groups, students, and 18s-and-under.

This event not only celebrates the timeless music of Beethoven and Tippett but also marks Sir Antonio Pappano's first season as Chief Conductor of the LSO. It's an evening recommended by Classic FM and not to be missed by classical music enthusiasts.

For booking and further information, tickets can be purchased online at lso.co.uk or barbican.org.uk, by phone, or in person at the Barbican Centre. Join us for an evening that promises to be both a heartfelt tribute to the past and a hopeful gaze into the future of classical music.

Beethoven 'Choral' Symphony

The cosmic grandeur of Richard Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra, famously immortalized as the theme to 2001: A Space Odyssey, captivates with its awe-inspiring majesty, and renowned pianist Emanuel Ax, celebrated for his interpretations of Mozart, returns under the direction of Conductor Laureate Sir Andrew Davis.

Sir Andrew Conducts Emanuel Ax + Mozart

David Pecaut Square

An all-British programme of Tippett, Turnage and Vaughan Williams inspired by opera and jazz – including an unmissable world premiere, to celebrate Sir Simon Rattle’s 70th birthday. 

London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Simon Rattle

Join the London Symphony Orchestra for a captivating evening of British music, featuring the works of Tippett, Turnage, and Vaughan Williams. This special concert, set to take place at the Barbican on Sunday, 12 January 2025 at 7pm, celebrates Sir Simon Rattle’s 70th birthday with an all-British program inspired by opera and jazz, including an unmissable world premiere.

The evening will commence with Michael Tippett's "Ritual Dances" from "The Midsummer Marriage," a piece overflowing with mythology and symbolism. The concert will then introduce the world premiere of Mark-Anthony Turnage's "Sco Guitar Concerto," a piece commissioned for this occasion, featuring legendary jazz guitarist John Scofield. The program will conclude with Ralph Vaughan Williams' deeply moving "Symphony No. 5," a work that transitions from a wistful opening to a serene and meditative conclusion.

Under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle, and with the special participation of John Scofield, the London Symphony Orchestra will navigate through a range of orchestral colors and styles, showcasing the exceptional talent and versatility of its musicians. This concert promises to be a memorable event, not only in celebration of Sir Simon Rattle's milestone birthday but also as a testament to the rich legacy of British music.

Tickets are available in various price ranges, with discounts available for multiple bookings, young people, students, and groups. The concert will conclude at approximately 9pm, including a 20-minute interval. Don't miss this extraordinary evening of music at the Barbican, a highlight of the London Symphony Orchestra's 2024/25 season.

Tippett, Turnage and Vaughan Williams 5

The Artist in Residence’s first programme of the Season invites us to look forward to the New Year in a Shakespearean manner.

Nicky Spence tenor; Dylan Perez piano

Wigmore Hall

Wow, have we got a packed stage for you tonight! Making the afternoon extra epic are singers and musicians from right across the North East, sharing the stage with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Chorus, and a superb line-up of soloists.

Tippett’s A Child of Our Time

The Glasshouse International Centre for Music

The Academy Wind Ensemble presents a programme of music ranging from the 17th to 21st century. The music Henry Purcell wrote for the funeral of Mary II in 1695 is some of his most moving. Judith Bingham’s Bright Spirit, from 2001, is similarly inspired, written in memorial to pioneering doctor William Reynish. A 2012 work from the Academy’s own Head of Composition, Philip Cashian, leads into Tippett’s Triumph. This work for concert band takes as its inspiration the composer’s humanist oratorio from the early 1980s, The Mask of Time.

British Wind Music

Royal Academy of Music

This opening concert with the DR Vocal Ensemble presents church music from over four centuries, at the same time as we celebrate two musical anniversaries – the 200th anniversary of the great Austrian symphonist Anton Bruckner and the 80th birthday of the Danish composer and influential pedagogue Niels La Cour.

Randers Church Music Festival

St Martin's Church Randers

An imaginative programme unites extraordinary viola player Lawrence Power, one of our current Resident Artists, with leading composer Thomas Adès at the piano.

Lawrence Power with Thomas Adès: Fairy-Tale Dances

Southbank Centre

Sir Andrew Davis (1944–2024), the celebrated British conductor famed for delighting audiences at the BBC Proms with his sparkling wit and exquisite musicianship, is remembered in this Prom from the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Martyn Brabbins. The centrepiece of the concert is Reich’s Jacob’s Ladder, the composer’s ‘dream of ascending and descending a ladder between heaven and earth’ that was deemed ‘energetic, meditative, light, graceful and refreshing’ when premiered in New York last spring. The second half will now include the ‘Ritual Dances’ from Tippet’s opera The Midsummer Marriage and Elgar’s ‘Enigma’ Variations, two pieces close to Sir Andrew Davis’s heart.



Prom 53: Stravinsky, Reich, Tippett and Elgar

Sir Andrew Davis (1944–2024), the celebrated British conductor famed for delighting audiences at the BBC Proms with his sparkling wit and exquisite musicianship, is remembered in this Prom from the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Martyn Brabbins.

The centrepiece of the concert is Reich’s Jacob’s Ladder, the composer’s ‘dream of ascending and descending a ladder between heaven and earth’ that was deemed ‘energetic, meditative, light, graceful and refreshing’ when premiered in New York last spring.

Prom 53: Stravinsky, Tippett and Elgar

JAM on the Marsh

St Nicholas Church Of England Primary Academy

Book your free ticket for this chance to experience a live performance of Sir Michael Tippett’s space-age fairytale opera New Year. The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, BBC Singers and an internationally-renowned team of solo singers assemble to record a live, public performance of the complete opera, marking 35 years of NMC Recordings and its support of great titans of British contemporary music.

Sir Michael Tippett’s ‘New Year’ with BBC Singers

Join us for a mesmerizing evening as the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and BBC Singers present "Sir Michael Tippett’s New Year" on Saturday, 13th April 2024, at the City Halls. This unique event promises to be an unforgettable experience, featuring a live performance of Sir Michael Tippett’s space-age fairytale opera, "New Year," alongside a stellar cast of soloists including Rhian Lois, Ross Ramgobin, Susan Bickley, Roland Wood, Robert Murray, Rachel Nicholls, and Alan Oke. Under the baton of conductor Martyn Brabbins and with Victoria Newlyn as the stage director, the evening is set to be a showcase of exceptional talent.

"New Year" is a compelling opera that intertwines two worlds, as a visitor from the future, "Nowhere Tomorrow," aids the central character in overcoming personal fears and fantasies to confront the realities of "Somewhere Today." This opera, one of Tippett’s most adventurous works, completed at the age of 83, blends influences from opera, rock musicals, pop songs, spoken dialogue, jokes, and dance, offering an eclectic and engaging experience for the audience.

The concert will also feature a pre-performance discussion at 6:45 pm in the Recital Room, led by Oliver Soden, author of "Michael Tippett: The Biography," and Sally Groves, Tippett’s friend and colleague, in conversation with Kate Molleson. This panel will provide deeper insights into Tippett’s life and the opera, enriching your experience of the performance.

This event is part of the BBC SSO 2023-24 Season and the BBC Singers 2023-24 Season, marking 35 years of NMC Recordings and its dedication to British contemporary music. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance, with a limit of 4 tickets per application. Tickets will be available from 10 am on Wednesday, 7th February 2024.

Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the magic of Sir Michael Tippett’s "New Year" in a live performance that promises to be both thought-provoking and thoroughly entertaining.

Sir Michael Tippett’s 'New Year' with BBC Singers

City Halls and Old Fruitmarket

Anthony Marwood appears again, now with leading British string soloists Lawrence Power and Paul Watkins for Tippett’s Triple Concerto, a late work of intense glowing lyricism. Among younger British composers, Adès admires Oliver Leith’s works and, at his request, the Hallé has commissioned a new work from him. A multiple award winner, Leith’s music has been called ‘curiously addictive’ (The Guardian) and has been receiving high profile premieres by the BBC, Royal Opera House and at Tanglewood in the USA.

Adès Conducts Tippett

The Bridgewater Hall

Pianist Steven Osborne and Chief Conductor Ryan Wigglesworth join the BBC SSO in East Lothian as the Lammermuir Festival returns.

Lammermuir Festival 2023

St Mary's Church

SPCO Artistic Partner Richard Egarr kicks off our 65th season with a pair of works that explore the sonic effects created by placing groups of musicians throughout the hall. A charming concerto by Antonio Vivaldi featuring violin and winds leads into the program's titular work, which sees SPCO musicians united on stage at the Ordway. Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 was written at an important turning point for the young composer as he started to push his limits amidst worsening health and the beginning of his hearing loss — a year prior to the completion of his more well-known Eroica.


Opening Weekend: Beethoven’s Second Symphony with Richard Egarr

In the 2023 Leonard Bernstein Memorial Concert Susanna Mälkki conducts Beethovens 9th Symphony while James Burton interprets Tippett's "Spirituals from A Child of Our Time".

TMC Tippett and Beethoven Tanglewood

Tanglewood Music Center

Albrecht Mayer is the principal oboe of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and also enjoys a flourishing solo career, playing with some of the world’s leading ensembles. He is known for his sweet, rounded tone and passion for exploring chamber repertoire both old and new.

On Tour - Schleswig-Holstein with Albrecht Mayer

Petruskirche Kiel Wik

### Event Description: Avi Avital & Martynas Levikis at Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

**Date:** 15 July 2023  
**Location:** Neubrandenburg, Concert Church

Join us for an unforgettable evening at the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where the renowned mandolin virtuoso Avi Avital and prize-winner-in-residence Martynas Levickis will grace the stage together. This concert, the first of two Academy performances, promises to be a spectacular showcase of musical talent and versatility.

**Programme Highlights:**
- **Tippett:** Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli
- **Vivaldi:** Concerto for 2 Violins in A minor, Op.3 no.8, RV 522
- **Galliano:** Opale Concerto
- **Bach:** Violin Concerto in G minor, BWV 1056
- **Mozart:** Symphony No.29 in A major, K.201 186a

The evening's repertoire spans from the baroque elegance of Bach and Vivaldi to the contemporary flair of Galliano’s accordion concerto, seamlessly blending the old with the new. The concert will take place in the acoustically superb Neubrandenburg concert church, ensuring an exceptional auditory experience.

**Tickets:** Available for purchase now.

Don't miss this unique opportunity to witness two of the most celebrated musicians of our time in a performance that bridges centuries of musical tradition. Secure your tickets today and be part of an evening that promises to be both inspiring and memorable.

Avi Avital & Martynas Levikis – Festspiele Mecklenburg-vorpommern

Individual lives tell the stories for this programme. Jamaican-born British composer Eleanor Alberga is inspired by the memory of a dear friend, a “tower of strength”, with music that brings a character to life. Meanwhile, Vaughan Williams tells the tale of a vagabond on his travels who demands “give to me the life I love”. Tippett’s oratorio relates the tragedy of an individual’s desperate act, and over 80 years after its premiere, still resonates with its themes of oppression and disenfranchisement. His use of African-American spirituals to evoke, as he put it, those “cast out from the centre of our society onto the fringes” is as pertinent now as it was then.

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

An evening of some of the most beautiful and thrilling music ever written for string orchestra, celebrating a web of musical and personal connections. Michael Tippett was the ESO’s first Composer-in-Association, and the orchestra recorded his Concerto for Double String Orchestra under the composer’s guidance during their partnership. Tippett was succeeded by Lennox Berkeley, whose son Michael is this year’s Featured Composer. Michael’s godfather and mentor was, of course, Benjamin Britten, represented here by his incredible homage to his teacher and mentor, Frank Bridge. Two of Elgar’s most haunting miniatures and Ruth Gipps’ beautiful Cringlemire Garden round out a thrilling celebration of British string music.

Elgar Festival 2023 - Elgar's Strings - Connections

The Guildhall Worcester

Tippett’s A Child of Our Time begins in sorrow: “The world turns on its dark side. It is winter.” Composed at the start of the Second World War but provoked by decades of intolerance, Tippett’s “modern oratorio” is built around the soul-shaking melodies of African-American spirituals. But the human spirit is unbreakable, and this great British choral masterpiece is anything but a counsel of despair.

Sir Andrew Davis conducts A Child of Our Time

Academy Symphonic Brass presents a celebration of Scottish trumpeter, composer and arts educator John Wallace, who was Head of Brass from 1992 to 2002. The programme includes movements from The Invisible Symphony, conceived and transcribed by Wallace, which reimagines Gabrieli’s Canzoni et Sonate (1615), a monumental antiphonal work for five brass choirs.

Academy Symphonic Brass

Step into the SPCO Sandbox for the world premiere of an imaginative fairytale in the form of a concerto for double bass! Developed over the course of two seasons for his Sandbox Composer Residency, Jon Deak's newest work, Under a Spell, invites listeners on a whimsical journey performed by Principal Bass Zachary Cohen and guided by narrator Bill Gordh. As the former Associate Principal Bass of the New York Philharmonic and "a composer-performer who has learned to make stringed instruments ‘talk’" (The Washington Post), Deak brings a lifelong familiarity of the instrument to his music and teachings.

Zachary Cohen Premieres Deak’s Bass Concerto

Experience music at its most original and most vital.

Life, death, and everything in between. On a black river, a swan sings a deathless lament. High above a frozen landscape, a violin swoops and soars. And a whole orchestra breathes as one, as Michael Tippett grows a living, feeling symphony from the tiniest of cells. This is music at its most original and its most vital, and Edward Gardner begins with Sir George Benjamin’s brilliant homage to an old friend, before he’s joined by violinist Pekka Kuusisto in Sibelius’s Concerto. ‘I grew up with the idea that playing the violin was about being spontaneous’, says Kuusisto: no wonder things catch fire when he’s around.

Composer

Michael Tippett

Events

Upcoming events

Nov 6, 2026

Academy Symphonic Brass · Royal Academy of Music

13 - 14 Nov, 2026

Zachary Cohen Premieres Deak’s Bass Concerto · Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra

Feb 24, 2027

Pekka Kuusisto plays Sibelius · London Philharmonic Orchestra

Past events

Oct 16, 2026

British Iconoclasts · BBC Philharmonic

Oct 16, 2026

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra · Royal Northern College of Music

About

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