Classical and folk music collide in a collaboration between Southbank Sinfonia, acclaimed fiddle-player Sam Sweeney (Bellowhead) and concertina wizard Rob Harbron (Leveret). Grab a drink, sit close to the players and share in intimate re-imaginings of ancient folk tunes.
Taking folk melodies collected by composers Ralph Vaughan Williams, Béla Bartók, George Butterworth and more, their sumptuous classical orchestrations will mix with spontaneous new arrangements, built in the moment through incredible musicianship.
Sam Sweeney (2015 BBC Folk Awards Musician of the Year) and Rob Harbron are both members of Leveret, a folk trio that have earned rave reviews for this exhilarating approach - where each performance develops in response to a specific moment in time, its venue and audience.
The Collectors shares the results of workshops in which Sam, Rob and Southbank Sinfonia’s musicians have explored new ways of playing and performing, continuing in the footsteps of those intrepid folk tune collectors a century ago.
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The evening will feature new folk tune arrangements alongside full orchestra performances of: Ralph Vaughan Williams Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus George Butterworth The Banks of Green Willow Béla Bartók Romanian Folk Dances Gustav HolstSt Paul’s Suite
With grateful thanks to the Vaughan Williams Foundation for its generous support.
