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Britten Sinfonia: Britten in America
with Elizabeth Watts
Memory Unwrapped
| Britten | Young Apollo |
|---|---|
| Copland | Appalachian Spring |
| Britten | Les Illuminations |
| Bowles | Six Preludes |
| Copland | Clarinet Concerto |
| Elizabeth Watts | soprano |
|---|---|
| Oleg Shebeta-Dragan | clarinet |
| Huw Watkins | piano |
| Britten Sinfonia |
Fifty years after Britten’s death, Britten Sinfonia present a programme focusing on the years he spent in North America during the Second World War. Sensuous, brightly hued music written in Canada and the USA is paired with works by his ‘very dear friend’ and mentor, Aaron Copland, from the same decade.
Britten Sinfonia are joined by soprano Elizabeth Watts in Les Illuminations, and BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Oleg Shebata-Dragan – multiple prize-winner at the prestigious Carl Nielsen Competition – in Copland’s Clarinet Concerto.
Between April 1939 and April 1942, Benjamin Britten and his partner Peter Pears enjoyed personally and professionally formative years in North America. Much of the dazzling song cycle Les Illuminations – settings of proto-surrealist poetry by Arthur Rimbaud – was composed early in their stay, and the vigorous Young Apollo for piano and strings was a commission by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, premiered in August 1939.
In the winter of 1940-41, Britten and Pears lived in an extraordinary Brooklyn houseshare with the poet W.H. Auden, the burlesque artist Gypsy Rose Lee and composer-novelist Paul Bowles. Alongside many others, including Salvador Dali, Thomas Mann and Kurt Weill, Aaron Copland was a frequent visitor. This programme also includes two of Copland’s greatest works from the 1940s – the ballet Appalachian Spring and his Clarinet Concerto, written for Benny Goodman – and piano works by his student Paul Bowles, who would later become much better known as the author of The Sheltering Sky.
This event will last approximately 100 minutes, including an interval.
Concessions & Under 30s tickets
Kings Place Concessions Tickets
We want to ensure that people who may be struggling financially to purchase a ticket can still enjoy visiting Kings Place. A limited number of tickets are allocated for certain events (if the ticket type does not show in the booking pathway, it means they are not available for this event or have all been sold). Concessions tickets are accessible for people on the following criteria (for more information visit our FAQs)
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Disability Benefit
- Income Support or Job Seekers allowance
- Students
£10 ‘Under 30s’ tickets
A limited number of £10 tickets are available for certain shows to attendees aged under 30. To access Under 30s tickets, your account needs to be updated with your Date of Birth. Please visit the account centre to add your Date of Birth and go to ‘Other Preferences’ to opt in to the Under 30s Scheme.
If £10 tickets are available, the ticket discount will apply automatically at checkout. If the discount does not apply, this means all ‘Under 30s’ tickets have sold out for the performance.
Please note that proof of age may be requested at the venue.
Plan your visit
Getting here
Kings Place is situated just a few minutes’ walk from King’s Cross and St Pancras stations, one of the most connected locations in London and now the biggest transport hub in Europe.
Our address is:
90 York Way, London, N1 9AG.
The Venue
Our performance spaces are situated on the lower ground floor. Hall One, Hall Two and St Pancras are located in level -2, reached by stairs, escalator and lift from the ground floor entrance level.
Event Times
Door times indicate auditorium entrance times only. Visitors are welcome to enjoy the Kings Place seating areas, gallery-level art, canal-side terrace, café, restaurant and bar throughout the day and evening.
- Our events begin promptly at the advertised start time. Typically, there is no support unless otherwise stated.
- We recommend arriving in good time before the performance. The Hall doors will open 30 minutes before the performance to allow time to take your seats, or to choose a space for standing shows.
- Latecomers will be admitted at a suitable break in the performance where possible
Access
We aim to make your visit to Kings Place as comfortable as possible. For more information about the accessibility of Kings Place, including details about our Access Scheme, please visit this page.
If you would like to discuss your access requirements with a member of our team, please get in touch with the Box Office team at info@kingsplace.co.uk.
Food & Drink
Rotunda Bar & Restaurant
Rotunda, situated on the ground floor of Kings Place, offers a unique dining and drinking experience alongside Regent’s Canal. The concert bar in the venue foyer will also be open for select events.
Green & Fortune Café
Recently re-furbished and now open with a new look, the Green & Fortune Café is open for selected concerts. Serving hot and cold food and drinks, including sandwiches, salads, soup, stew and a pie of the day, alongside a choice of cakes made by the on-site bakery team. See here for selected concert dates and standard opening hours.
Reviews
‘Britten Sinfonia’s visit to London with the soprano Elizabeth Watts clicked from start to finish.’ ★★★★★The Guardian
‘Spellbinding performances by Watts and Britten Sinfonia’ Catholic Herald
‘One of the most beautiful voices Britain has produced in a generation.’ International Record Review on Elizabeth Watts