A new work by Gareth Williams for soprano and the Orchestra of Scottish Opera is premiered on 1 June
The work, The Song, the Stars and The Blossom, will be performed by soprano Catrin Orr at St Andrew’s in the Square, Glasgow at 3pm on 1 June.
Composed as part of his composer residency with Scottish Opera, The Song, the Stars and The Blossom is based on extracts from an interview which writer Dennis Potter gave in 1994, shortly before his death. Gareth Williams explains the background:
“I watched Dennis Potter give a television interview in 1994. I didn’t know anything about him and I don’t know why I kept watching. It frightened me because he was drinking morphine and talking about his imminent death. I had never seen anyone talk about their death like that, and that sadness, coupled with the joy of a life well lived, meant I could never really shake it off. Years later, I read the transcript of the interview, and I realised that he said amazing things. About the present tense. For the last ten years, I’ve been wanting to hear someone sing some of those amazing things.”
Originally from Armagh and now based in Glasgow, Gareth Williams has written a number of works through his role as Composer in Residence at Scottish Opera including operas Elephant Angel, Last One Out and Hand. Other recent projects include Breath Cycle, a project involving songs and an opera specifically for patients with Cystic Fibrosis.
Further details: