Dvořák’s 7th Symphony

The evening

A thrilling encounter with folk tales, dances – and a shrieking Banshee.

Janáček’s folk-inspired Taras Bulba was written during the turbulence of the First World War. This vibrant and energetic rhapsody depicts battles, thwarted love, and a stirring sense of patriotism. Dvořák’s Symphony No.7 is similarly imbued with love of country, journeying from stern opening to yearning slow movement to triumphant finale, via an absolutely rollicking scherzo. The exciting talents of Composer in Residence Anna Clyne and Collaborative Artist Jess Gillam collide to magnificent effect in Clyne’s Saxophone Concerto. The Irish folkloric figure of the Banshee is at the centre of this new work, which conjures up her ‘wailing, shrieking, or keening in the silence of the night’.