Ravel, Adams, Vaughan Williams and Harris

BBC Symphony Orchestra/Madaras

Sat 28 Apr 2018, 19:30 ,Barbican Hall

Man’s humanity to man amid the horrors of war links this imaginative programme that includes a world premiere by New Zealand composer Ross Harris.

The role of those who care for the injured provides the theme: Ralph Vaughan Williams, like Maurice Ravel, was too old to serve in the First World War but he volunteered as a stretcher bearer while the Frenchman drove munitions lorries behind the lines, putting himself in extreme danger. His Le Tombeau de Couperin remembers friends killed in the First World War. John Adams’s The Wound Dresser, for baritone and orchestra, sets words by Walt Whitman who tended the wounded in battle, while Ross Harris’s celebrates the work of fellow New Zealander, the plastic surgeon Harold Gillies who pioneered facial reconstruction and contributed to the rehabilitation of thousands of servicemen. Face, receiving its UK premiere is a work for film, soloists, chorus and orchestra.

Barbican Hall

Location
The Barbican Hall is located within the main Barbican building. Head to Level G and follow the signs to find your seating level.

Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.