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City Life

Britten Sinfonia

,Milton Court Concert Hall
Two members of Britten Sinfonia smile at another member, who has his back to the camera. They are all on the Barbican stage, holding their instruments.

Associate Ensemble Britten Sinfonia pay a unique tribute to the Barbican on its 40th birthday with a commentary on 21st-century urban life with music by Steve Reich, Brett Dean and Dobrinka Tabakova.

The centrepiece is Steve Reich’s iconic City Life, famed for its use of digital samples alongside the acoustic instruments, capturing a wide variety of urban sounds from his home town of New York City. It’s paired with Brett Dean’s Pastoral Symphony, an elegy to urban development’s encroachment on the natural world in his native Australia. The piece, Brett Dean says, ’is about glorious birdsong, the threat that it faces, the loss, and the soulless noise that we're left with when they're all gone.’

The performance will also include the world premiere of Barbican Glade by Dobrinka Tabakova, commissioned to mark the Barbican’s 40th birthday and written to reflect the theme from a European perspective. 

Tagged with: Classical music Britten Sinfonia multibuy - Jan-Jul 2022 Britten Sinfonia

This performance will finish at approximately 10.30pm, with no interval.

Produced by Britten Sinfonia

Programme

  • Brett Dean   Pastoral Symphony
  • Dobrinka Tabakova   Barbican Glade (world premiere)
  • Steve Reich   City Life

Performers

  • Britten Sinfonia  
  • Jonathan Bloxham   conductor

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Milton Court Concert Hall

Location
Milton Court Concert Hall is located within the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and is approximately a 5 minute walk from the Barbican entrance on Silk Street.  

Address
Milton Court
Silk St, London
EC2Y 9BH

Nearby public transport
We are within walking distance from a number of London Underground stations, the closest being Barbican, Old Street, St Paul’s and Moorgate. The nearest train stations are Liverpool Street and Farringdon. Bus Route 153 runs directly past the Barbican along Chiswell Street

Car and bicycle parking
We have free bicycle spaces and paid car parking spaces available