The Angel in the Forest
A dramatic song cycle for tenor solo, vocal ensemble and cello sextet
Music by Julian Marshall with text by Gertrud Kolmar
Additional text taken from the Old Testament
James Gilchrist tenor solo
Sophie Harris cello
Christopher Wray choirmaster
The Welten players and singers
Conducted by the Brodsky Quartet's Ian Belton
Dame Janet Suzman special guest reader
The concert will be introduced by Iain McGilchrist, author of 'The Master and his Emissary'
The Angel in the Forest is the second piece written by Julian Marshall that features the work of the Jewish writer and poet Gertrud Kolmar (both texts are taken from her Welten cycle of poems - the last she is known to have written).
The first piece, Out of the Darkness, was premiered at Winchester Cathedral in March 2009 and has, subsequently, been broadcast on BBC Radio 3.
The Angel in the Forest is, perhaps, Julian Marshall's most powerful - and most filmic - work to date. Kolmar's poem offers remarkable opportunities for a musical encounter with a stunning literary work - an encounter that ultimately enforces the idea that hope and possibility may well be only truly glimpsed after having first passed through the doorway of hopelessness. Drawing influence from a variety of musical styles, Marshall weaves Kolmar's words into a magical journey that will leave audiences deeply moved and inspired.
Kolmar's work, the most important of which was mostly written during the 1930s (she perished in Auschwitz in 1943) evokes powerful images in a constant morphing from 'fantasy to reality' - simultaneously serving as an eerie foretelling of the imminent tidal wave of horror about to hit the world and a most vivid account of life experienced in full colour. It exquisitely demonstrates a remarkable body of work springing from a life of impossible circumstance.
The Angel in the Forest receives its full London premiere on January 21st 2012 with all profits going to the Barenboim-Said Foundation - a remarkable organisation that creates high level opportunities for young musicians from across the Middle East, most notably in the form of the West-East Divan Orchestra.
