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Latest News
SUCCESS IN LONDON WITH THE PREMIERE OF ‘Out of the Darkness’
August 28, 2026
On Sunday August 23, the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields and soloist Amy Harman gave a triumphant premiere of Musgrave’s new Horn Concerto, Out of the Darkness at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the 2026 BBC Proms season. The work includes several dramatic staged elements, beginning with the hall in total darkness with lights slowly rising as Harman gradually made her way from behind the orchestra around to the usual soloist position.
The first performance of Out of the Darkness emerged from a dark grumble of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields’ percussion and bass instruments, which bassoonist Amy Harman answered from the back of the stage, weaving a warm, baritonal vocalise through the orchestral duskiness. - The Guardian (Flora Wilson, Aug 24, 2026)
…written with characteristic elegance and fluency … Musgrave’s Bassoon Concerto compels interest for the concentration of ideas.
- Colin’s Column (Colin Anderson Aug 24, 2026)
If you are UK-based you can listen back to the broadcast here, or watch the concert at BBC iPlayer here.
Thea also spoke with Kate Molleson for BBC Radio 3 ahead of the Proms premiere. You can listen to their discussion here.
The Voices of our ancestors: Musica Sacra announce their 2026/27 season
August 9, 2026
New York City based choir Musica Sacra recently announced their 2026/27 season including a performance of Musgrave’s The Voices of Our Ancestors on April 20, 2027 at the Cathedral of St John the Divine.
The Voices of Our Ancestors is a 2014 work for narrator, chorus, brass, and organ that sets the creation hymn from the Rigveda, an ancient Sanskrit verse dating in its written form from 1500-1200 B.C., and eleven other poems translated into English from almost as many languages.
Poet and author David Mills will narrate the work, and his poetry will be featured in the course of the program. Mills's first book, Boneyarn, about New York's African Burial Ground, won the 2022 North American Poetry Award from the Poetry Society of Virginia.
The program begins with selections of medieval polyphony and works by Josquin des Prez and Adrian Willaert from the Medici Codex of 1518. (Within view of the audience is a tapestry created with artwork commissioned by Pope Leo X, who commissioned the Medici Codex as a wedding gift to his nephew.)
Friday Night is Music Night: Celebrating Scotland's musical heritage
July 15, 2026
We are delighted to share that Thea Musgrave’s music will be featured in a special upcoming concert with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. On Friday, 22 January 2027, the orchestra will present "Friday Night is Music Night: Celebrating Scotland's Musical Heritage" at Glasgow City Halls.
Conducted by Derrick Morgan, the evening is a sweeping musical journey through Scotland's history, landscapes, and spirit. Musgrave’s distinctive compositional voice will be showcased alongside works by fellow Scottish icons Sally Beamish and Peter Maxwell Davies, as well as Mendelssohn’s classic Hebrides Overture and beloved cinematic themes from Braveheart and Brave.
For more details on the program and ticket information, please visit the official event page on the BBC website.
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