Martin Bussey’s Pinner Music Festival commission A Brother Abroad for a baritone with three instruments receives its first performance on Saturday 12 June, 7.30pm at Pinner Parish Church as part of the Pinner Music Festival Anniversary Concert.
The commission celebrates the 700th anniversary of Pinner Parish Church and focuses on Bishop Peter of Corbavia, a Benedictine who performed the dedication in 1371. The work, to a text by Anthony Pinching, explores Bishop Peter’s adventures, including negotiations with Robert the Bruce and kidnap by a band of robbers, as well as his intense Benedictine spirituality. The scoring, for baritone, flute/piccolo, French horn and percussion allows much colour, evoking the warmth of Peter’s Italian homeland, the horn calls announcing the Bishop’s progress and the pealing bells and shouts of the cheering villagers on his arrival.
The performers are baritone Marcus Farnsworth, flautist Emma Halnan, horn player George Strivens and percussionist Chris Brannick, directed by the composer.
The score of A Brother Abroad is available as printed score or download from Composers Edition website, as well as other works by Martin Bussey.
Tags: A Brother Abroad, Bishop Peter of Corbavia, Chris Brannick, Commission, Emma Halnan, George Strivens, Marcus Farnsworth, Martin Bussey, Pinner Music Festival, Pinner Parish Church, premiere