In the shadow of the First World War, Vaughan Williams鈥檚 The Lark Ascending sounded like a vision of peace. Deborah Pritchard鈥檚 Calandra evokes the same spirit in a 21st century context; it鈥檚 specially written for the radiant tone and poetic insight of soloist Jennifer Pike.
Calandra, says Pritchard represents a different kind of lark 鈥� 鈥渁n Eastern European lark, symbolic of freedom, ascending without borders鈥�. Like Vaughan Williams, Pritchard is responding to her time; but music can deal with turbulence as well as serenity and guest conductor Clemens Schuldt frames these two idylls with Britten鈥檚 volcanic Sinfonia da Requiem 鈥� a protest against the inhumanity of World War Two 鈥� and Strauss鈥檚 musical fantasy of triumph rising from the darkest tragedy. Strong emotions; ravishing sounds.
