John Wilson Conducts the Sinfonia of London Strings

Live at the BBC Proms: John Wilson conducts the Sinfonia of London Strings with soprano Julie Roset. Britten's Les Illuminations and Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge are framed by works from his musical circle, including Lennox Berkeley's Serenade for Strings, Frank Bridge's Lament and Imogen Holst's Suite for String Orchestra.

Presented by Petroc Trelawny, live from the Royal Albert Hall, London.

Lennox Berkeley: Serenade for Strings
Frank Bridge: Lament
Benjamin Britten: Les illuminations

c. 11.45
Interval: Petroc Trelawny is joined by the writer and musicologist Lucy Walker to discuss the music and legacy of Benjamin Britten.

c. 12.05

Imogen Holst: Suite for String Orchestra
Benjamin Britten: Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge

Julie Roset, soprano
Sinfonia of London Strings
John Wilson, conductor

‘I alone hold the key to this wild parade.’ Benjamin Britten is the keystone of this second concert by John Wilson and the Sinfonia of London, a family tree of English music. The shimmering, kaleidoscopic visions of the composer's orchestral song-cycle Les Illuminations – performed by rising-star soprano Julie Roset – and the taut, witty invention of his Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge are framed by works by members of Britten's circle: teachers, friends and colleagues. Imogen Holst's Suite for String Orchestra – her homage to England's musical past and vision for its future – receives its Proms premiere.