Fighter Command and the Battle for Britain
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Music: Bryan Kesselman
Original concept and words: Philip Barnett Written: 2015 First performances on 19, 20, 26 September 2015 A one act musical for chorus commissioned for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain Background This was a commission from the Bentley Priory Museum performed in September 2015 as part of the activities to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. The development of the piece was funded by Arts Council England and The Heritage Lottery Fund. Short BBC News video of Bentley Priory Museum The aim was to produce a family-friendly piece with adults and children singing together. The material had to reflect the key messages of the Museum as well as being entertaining and also respectful to the subject matter. It also needed to be straightforward so that the performance could be done 'off book', that is without looking at the music. The resulting piece can be performed anywhere, but it was designed as a site-specific work for the Museum making use of four of the spaces in the Museum through a promenade performance. Although written for two choirs (adults and children) the piece could also be performed by adults only or children only. |
Characteristics
Musical style: In keeping with period Duration: Approximately 20 minutes but 30 minutes in promenade format Arrangement: Mostly unison, some simple SATB Accompaniment: Piano Theme: The Battle of Britain and the role of RAF Fighter Command Level of complexity: Easy to Moderate Voice mix: Can be performed by mixed or unmixed choir Children: Two of the songs were written for a children's choir Solo parts: None, though some parts could be designated for solos or small groups Resources: mp3 rehearsal tracks available Contact us for an evaluation copy or permission to perform the work. |