Work: Canticle III, Still Falls the Rain, for tenor, horn and piano, Op.55

The second week of the Seattle Chamber Music Society's 2015 Summer Festival offered up an unusual juxtaposition of instrumental and vocal pieces, with a beautifully somber mood prevailing.

This Richard Thomas Foundation concert at Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room introduced us to two completely new works, and presented two slightly older pieces too for good measure. All were beautifully played by a top selection of performers, making for an excellent demonstration of the power of new music.

Celebrating Britten’s centenary, tonight’s performance of his five canticles seemed particularly fitting. Written throughout his composing career, they are a testament to the composer’s affinity for poetry and skill at writing with particular performers in mind, and they provide an intimate commentary on Britten’s large-scale works.