New Paths Collective: On This Island

For the last ten years, exceptional musicians from around the world have been gathering twice a year in the beautiful Yorkshire market town of Beverley for the New Paths Music Festival. To mark its first decade, the pioneering festival is taking the show on the road, starting with a series of rush-hour concerts in London which pair song cycles by Britten (who died 50 years ago this year) with major instrumental sonatas.

Meeting W. H. Auden in the summer of 1935 was a pivotal moment in the life of Britten, sparking a highly productive partnership and significant friendship. On This Island was the 23-year-old composer’s first published group of songs with piano. Setting five poems by Auden, the cycle includes the song Nocturne, a poignant early example of Britten’s preoccupation with the night.

Sir James MacMillan’s haunting Cello Sonata No.1 is the centrepiece of a shimmering programme which encompasses works by English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh composers, plus a gem by André Previn.