To mark the centenary of the horn player Dennis Brain, Allan Clayton, Pip Eastop and Aurora Orchestra perform one of Britten’s most loved works, the Serenade, written for Brain and Peter Pears. We hear grief-stricken echoes of the Serenade in the fragments of the piece Britten started to write when Brain died aged just 36 but left unfinished.
In Tansy Davies’ piece for solo horn, inspired by the traditions of the Sami people of northern Scandinavia, we hear the instrument’s remarkable range, from serene and lyrical to wild and ritualistic. String orchestra works by Elgar and Kate Whitley complete the programme.
Photo © Sim Canetty-Clarke