BBC National Orchestra Of Wales

The final concert features two old friends of the festival: Huw Watkins’s deeply expressive concerto, written for his brother Paul and a new work from Graham Fitkin which combines an intriguing mix of orchestra with amplified recorder.

To round off, John Adams’s Absolute Jest, described by Musical America as 'a gripping 25-minute sonic joy ride. You can hear the echoes of Beethoven throughout the piece – chopped, remixed, inside out and upside down and you can almost see the composer smiling at the results'.

Graham Fitkin’s concerto was commissioned by Evelyn Nallen and Barbara Law, assisted by generous donations from the Society of Recorder Players and its members, and the Vale of Glamorgan Festival (with funds provided by TheHinrichsen Foundation).

Tecwyn Evans - conductor
Paul Watkins - cello
Sophie Westbrooke - recorders
Apollon Musagète Quartet

Programme:
John Adams - The Chairman Dances
Huw Watkins - Cello Concerto
Graham Fitkin - Concerto for amplified recorders and orchestra, World Premiere
John Adams - Absolute Jest