大象传媒

The Symphony of Psalms was written in 1930, the same year that the 大象传媒 Symphony Orchestra was formed. The 大象传媒SO regularly performed Igor Stravinsky’s music from as early as 1931, and the composer often conducted the orchestra too. In the 1930s Stravinsky’s faith was strong. He set Psalm 150 to music and at time, the orchestra sounds almost like an organ. However, there are stark moments when the orchestra – with no violins, violas or clarinets – plays harmonies that crunch and twist against each other and the music sprints forward to the heavenly hallelujahs that conclude the piece.

Shostakovich as a Leningrad volunteer firefighter. Photo: Sovfoto

This is striking, moving music that encompasses the tension, anxiety and emotion of the interwar years, yet also shows the progression and change of Stravinsky’s musical styles throughout his lifetime.

Shostakovich’s "Leningrad" Symphony (1941)

September 1941 was the beginning of the Siege of Leningrad, one of the longest and deadliest sieges in history, lasting 872 days. Leningrad (now St Petersburg) was the home city of composer Dmitri Shostakovich, and his Seventh Symphony was named in honour of the besieged city. The music is Shostakovich at his most triumphant and stirring, with the music reflecting the conflict. The first movement builds on a small march theme starting on plucked violins and snare drum. This builds, adding instruments along the way, for 10 minutes, until the whole orchestra is playing with determination.

On 9 August 1942 the symphony was performed in the city by the surviving members of the Leningrad Radio Symphony Orchestra, many of whom who were weakened by starvation. The music was played outside on loudspeakers to hearten the people and show the German army that the city was unwilling to admit defeat.

Before this, though, the score was copied to microfilm and smuggled out of Russia, so it was actually heard in London before it was heard in Leningrad. The 大象传媒 broadcast a performance in June 1942, and Sir Henry Wood conducted the epic work at the 大象传媒 Proms the following week, on the anniversary of Russia joining the war, in a show of solidarity across the Allied powers.

By the time of his death in 1976, the English composer Benjamin Britten was a seminal figure in British music. He was at the forefront of opera, orchestral music, songs and choral music. He had also worked extensively with the 大象传媒, writing music for 大象传媒 ensembles and even an opera for television.

John Tavener in 1970. Photo 漏 大象传媒

Estonian composer Arvo Pärt was so moved by Britten’s death that he composed Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten in his honour. It'd a short work and an early example of his Pärt's distinctive "tintinnabuli" style, inspired by the sound of ringing bells. The piece itself is simple, with long lines in the string orchestra and a single bell tolling, capturing the grief and heart-rending emotion that Pärt felt over Britten's death. The work was given its first UK performance at the 大象传媒 Proms in 1979 and subsequently became one of Pärt's most popular works.

Tavener’s The Protecting Veil (1988)

Composer John Tavener had a relationship with the 大象传媒 throughout his life, starting when he was a child at Highgate School where the choir often sang in 大象传媒 programmes. Much of his musical work as an adult found a home on the 大象传媒, but one especially notable moment was the 1989 Proms premiere of his work The Protecting Veil, commissioned by the 大象传媒.

Performed by strings and solo cellist Steven Isserlist, the piece's simple lines weave together and unravel to create a beautiful musical texture that tugs at the heartstrings. Tavener was a very religious and spiritual man, which informed much of his music. Much of The Protecting Veil was inspired by his muse, Mother Thekla, an Orthodox nun who was his spiritual counsellor as well as his librettist.

A 1992 recording of The Protecting Veil featuring cellist Isserlis was a huge hit. Copies flew off the shelves and it was even nominated for the Mercury prize.

This operatic aria by Puccini was first performed in 1926 but came to a truly mass audience in 1990, when the 大象传媒 used a recording by Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti as the theme tune for its coverage of the FIFA World Cup in 1990.

Steve Reich. Photo 漏 大象传媒

This, truly, was a moment for classical music and football to shake hands. The aria is from Puccini’s opera Turandot, big-hearted Italian opera at its best. The tenor soloist soars over the full-bodied orchestra, as the gorgeous, romantic melody builds triumphantly, creating a collective lump in our throats at the final heart-swelling cry of "Vincerò!" ("I will win!").

The recording, though over ten years old, was catapulted to No 2 in the UK charts and Pavarotti, already an esteemed opera singer, found worldwide fame. Nessun Dorma became his signature tune and he was even presented with a platinum disc by footballer Bobby Charlton. The association with opera helped football’s image too, which had been plagued by hooliganism. Now football was "the beautiful game" and began to be referred to as an art form.

Steve Reich’s WTC 9/11 (2011)

In 2001, people all over the world froze in horror as the September 11th terrorist attacks played out on their radios and televisions. Composer and New Yorker Steve Reich was deeply affected. He used sounds from that day to create his haunting work WTC 9/11, which combines recordings of air traffic control, police and firefighters with music. The music captures some of the pain, darkness and shock of the event in a short piece for string quartet and pre-recorded tape, written in homage to the victims of the attacks.

Hannah Kendall’s The Spark Catchers (2018)

Hannah Kendall’s work The Spark Catchers captures a handful of historic moments in one piece. The work was inspired by a poem written by Lemn Sissay, the official poet for the London 2012 Olympics, which reflects on the 1888 strike of women matchmakers who worked in a factory in east London. The poem itself is inscribed as public art in London’s Olympic Park.

Spark Catchers is itself sparky, with shimmering string lines, bursts of melody and musical motifs that jump across and around the orchestra. Commissioned by the 大象传媒, it was given its premiere in another historic moment – the debut appearance of Chineke!, Europe's first majority black and ethnically diverse orchestra, at the 大象传媒 Proms. The ensemble are now regulars at the Proms and on 大象传媒 Radio 3.

We are less than a third of the way into the 2020s, and it is difficult to say what will prove the most crucial musical moment of the decade. However, one landmark piece stands out already: James B Wilson’s Remnants, a work written in response to the Black Lives Matter protests that followed the 2020 murder of George Floyd in the US city of Minneapolis.

Wilson's piece sets Yomi Sode’s poetry to music, and is performed by a speaker who declaims the words as the orchestra builds up harmonies that give space for reflection and contemplation. Remnants was premiered by Chineke! at the reopening of the Southbank Centre after its closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and broadcast on Radio 3. It's an important work that reflects and tells the story of our times, as music and composers have done throughout history.