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I Need Your Help Again: Programming Suggestions, Please

October 22, 2009 at 2:24 am UTC

lso chorus

So it’s official: on October 24th, 2010, I’ll be conducting the premiere of a new piece for the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. The concert will be in the Barbican, a gorgeous performance space in London and permanent home to the LSO. In case you’re wondering, the excitement has already caused my head to explode. Several times.

Equally exciting is that they have asked me to conduct the rest of the concert, and this is where I need your help. Please post for me your favorite pieces from the chorus/orchestra repertoire – they can be from any time period and by composers of any nationality. I’m just brainstorming at this point, and would love to hear your suggestions.

I’ve already decided that I’ll do Vaughan Williams’ haunting An Oxford Elegy, which is scored for a smallish orchestra, chorus, and narrator. It runs about 22 minutes. My commissioned piece (which will be probably for larger orchestra and chorus, double winds and strings) will be 15-20 minutes. Not sure which text I’ll use yet.

That leaves a good 45 minutes of music to program. When posting your pieces, make sure the orchestra isn’t too big (I can’t use something massive, no triple winds for example), but really, no suggestion is too crazy. I’m just looking for ideas.

And will any of you be in London for the premiere? Should be quite a party!

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