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Friday Night at the Proms: Eric Whitacre's Choral Prom

A celebration of American composers, including Jonathan Newman's Blow It Up, Start Again, Eric Whitacre's Deep Field, Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and Aaron Copland's Quiet City.

A celebration of some truly inspiring American composers, from the early 20th century to the present day and with a few European premieres thrown in for good measure.

The ever-popular and endlessly charismatic Eric Whitacre puts the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Singers and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra through their paces in a programme that's packed to the rafters. Kicking off proceedings with the European premiere of Jonathan Newman's electrifying Blow It Up, Start Again, Whitacre's own enchanting compositions The River Cam and Cloudburst are followed by a piece that you couldn't leave out of this repertoire - George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, with solo piano performed by Young Musician of the Year winner Martin James Bartlett.

Aaron Copland's Quiet City follows, before the concert is capped by Whitacre's Equus and the European premiere of his new work Deep Field which, in a Proms first, is accompanied by a free interactive smartphone app which lets everyone at home join in the performance with unearthly sounds and images.

2 hours

Music Played

  • Jonathan Newman

    Blow It Up, Start Again

    Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Eric Whitacre.
  • Eric Whitacre

    The River Cam

    Performer: Leonard Elschenbroich. Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Eric Whitacre.
  • Eric Whitacre

    Cloudburst

    Choir: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Singers. Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
  • George Gershwin

    Rhapsody in Blue

    Orchestrator: Ferde GrofΓ©. Performer: Martin James Bartlett. Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Composer: Eric Whitacre.
  • Aaron Copland

    Quiet City

    Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Eric Whitacre.
  • Eric Whitacre

    Equus

    Choir: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Singers. Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Eric Whitacre.
  • Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Singers

    Deep Field

    Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Eric Whitacre.

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Clarke Peters
Presenter Angel Blue
Producer Joe McCulloch
Director Matthew Amos
Orchestra Royal Philharmonic
Conductor Eric Whitacre
Musician Martin James Bartlett
Musician Leonard Elschenbroich
Choir Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Singers
Choir Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Symphony Chorus

Broadcast

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