United Strings of Europe – Through the Night

In conjunction with Keele Concerts

United Strings of Europe – Through the Night. String sextet concert.

But all the story of the night told over,
And all their minds transfigured so together,
More witnesseth than fancy’s images
And grows to something of great constancy,
But, howsoever, strange and admirable.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare

The night is a source of wonder and fascination, rich with metaphorical associations. With music spanning nearly 500 years, Through the Night features beguiling counterpoint and chromaticism. A key notion is that the night can be a space and time for change and transformation. The sense of guilt and foreboding in Schönberg’s Verklärte Nacht gives way to a stronger bond of love. Full of heartache and spiritual suffering, the Renaissance works of Purcell and Gesualdo speak to the night as a state of being, and a portent of death, with each of these works transformed through arrangements for strings.

Programme:

Shaw                    Entr’acte
Purcell                 Dido’s Lament
Boccherini          Musica Notturna delle Strade di Madrid
-interval-
Gesualdo            Tristis est anima mea
Schönberg          Verklärte Nacht

United Strings of Europe creates profound musical experiences that celebrate diversity and bridge cultural divides. Bringing together players from across Europe, the group is led by Artistic Director Julian Azkoul. With a focus on new commissions and unique arrangements of music from a variety of cultures, their playing is acclaimed as ‘virtuosically expressive’ (The Times).

Student Tickets £8.00