Saved events

BBC Singers/Sofi Jeannin

Sofi Jeannin conducting black background

On this centenary Remembrance Sunday, British composers Roderick Williams and Bob Chilcott express very personal responses to the tragedy of the First World War.

Remembrance, after all, is about the future, as well as the past. So tonight at Milton Court the BBC Singers and their Chief Conductor Sofi Jeannin give performances of two choral works commemorating that War to End All Wars.

And like Britten before him, Bob Chilcott has taken his inspiration from Wilfred Owen, whose poem Futility is the starting point for his work Move him into the sun. Roderick Williams, meanwhile, is best known as one of our most insightful and articulate baritones. Performed by one of the world’s great chamber choirs, his piece World Without End is a uniquely touching meditation on events that still scar our imagination, a century on.

Promoted by BBC Singers and Barbican

Discover

black and white photo of soldiers

Long read: Music of conflict

Dr Kate Kennedy looks at a number of solider-composers from World War I, from different backgrounds and nations, exploring the vital importance of music for survival. 

architecture detail of the barbican hall

Composer Focus – Episode 2: Benjamin Britten with Roderick Williams

In episode two, host Ed Seckerson is joined by baritone and composer Roderick Williams to discuss Benjamin Britten, a complex and often contradictory character, and one of the 20th century’s greatest opera composers.

an orchestra playing classical music in the barbican hall in central london

Listen: Classical Music on Spotify

Follow our regularly updated Classical Music playlist for a sample of the music you'll hear across our programme. 

Photo of man playing drum

Listen: Contemporary Classical on Spotify

Discover music from across the Contemporary Classical spectrum – from Judith Weir and George Benjamin to Nils Frahm and Max Richter.

Milton Court Concert Hall