RNCM Symphony Orchestra

From parades and assembly lines to protest anthems and pop culture, this programme charts a musical journey through 20th century American life.

If you hear a patriotic tune that sounds suspiciously British, you’re not mistaken. Charles Ives’ Variations on America is a wry, irreverent take on the song also known as My Country, ’Tis of Thee, rooted in God Save the King. Full of harmonic surprises and rhythmic mischief, Ives’ early work shows his signature humour and love for layering the sounds of American life.

Michael Daugherty’s Fire and Blood, inspired by Diego Rivera’s monumental Detroit Industry Murals, paints a gritty, pulsating portrait of America’s automobile age. The solo violin becomes the factory worker; the orchestra, the machinery of industry. Best known for his Metropolis Symphony (based on Superman comics), Daugherty here turns to real-world heroism and power.

In Soul Force, Jessie Montgomery flips the lens, confronting the gap between the American Dream and lived experience. Influenced by Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, her music draws on big band, hip hop, funk, and R&B to celebrate resistance, resilience and the ongoing fight for freedom.

To close, John Adams offers a musical autobiography: My Father Knew Charles Ives. Whether or not Adams’ father in fact knew Ives (Adams thinks not), this radiant tribute evokes the spirit of the famed composer with ghostly marching bands and New England nostalgia. It’s a personal homage to Ives’ legacy and the America that shaped both composers.