In recognition of 2025 marking the 50th anniversary of the death of Sir Arthur Bliss, the Bliss Trust in collaboration with the Arthur Bliss Society has been encouraging orchestras, festivals, choral societies, concert promoting organisations, ensembles and individual artists to perform works by the composer with the aim of achieving 50 performances during the year of around 25 works. More than 100 performances of 46 works are planned to date.
Bliss, who died on 27 March 1975, is a featured composer at the Three Choirs, Ryedale, Leamington, English Music, North Yorks, Bradfield and Knaresborough festivals, as well as at the Ludlow English Song Weekend.
His music is being performed by orchestras including the BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, New London Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the Philharmonia. Conductors include Martyn Brabbins, Nicholas Childs, Ronald Corp, Andrew Manze, Adrian Partington, Michael Seal, John Wilson and Martin Yates.
Among the rostra of artists are Dame Sarah Connolly, Mark Bebbington, Lotte Betts-Dean, Brett Dean, Iain Burnside, Peter Donohoe, James Gilchrist, Emma Johnson, Guy Johnston, Robert Plane, Timothy Ridout, Raphael Wallfisch, Andrew West and Roderick Williams. Ensembles include the Carducci, Marmen, Sacconi String Quartets and Pixels Ensemble.
Non-professional performers, include the Black Dyke Band, Crowthorne, Ealing, Harrogate and Saffron Walden Symphony orchestras, the Leeds Sinfonia, Sheffield Youth Orchestra; the New London Chorus, Nottingham Chamber Singers, and the Three Choirs Festival Chorus.
Among the wide range of Bliss works being performed are the choral and orchestral Morning Heroes, Mary of Magdala, and Pastoral; the orchestral A Colour Symphony, Introduction and Allegro, Metamorphic Variations, Music for Strings, Piano and Cello Concertos, Things to Come, and ensemble and instrumental works: Clarinet Quintet, Viola Sonata, Masks, Triptych, and vocal works Elegiac Sonnet, and A Knot of Riddles.
Highlights of the anniversary include:
- Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. 27 March 2025: On the actual anniversary of Bliss’s death, a celebration of the composer’s music is being presented at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with concerts and talks curated by Mark Bebbington.
- Piano Concerto, performed by Peter Donohoe and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Martyn Brabbins. (16 Apl, Cadogan Hall)
- Morning Heroes, performed by The London Chorus, New London Orchestra, conducted by Ronald Corp. (8 May, Holy Trinity, Sloane Square)
- Cello Concerto, performed by Raphael Wallfisch and the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Martin Yates. (23 May, Dorchester Abbey, English Music Festival.)
- Premiere of Bliss’s Viola Concerto (his Viola Sonata) orchestrated by Philip Wilby: After the premiere of the Viola Sonata (dedicated to Lionel Tertis), Bliss planned to orchestrate the work but never did so. To mark the anniversary, the Bliss Trust and the Arthur Bliss Society commissioned Philip Wilby to orchestrate the work which is to be premiered during the Ryedale Festival in July with Timothy Ridout as soloist. Full details to be announced by the Festival later this month.
- Bliss at the Three Choirs Festival: The Festival includes Bliss’s cantata Mary of Magdala which was premiered at the Worcester Festival in 1963, conducted by the composer, as well as other works. Full details to be announced by the Festival later this month.
- Pembroke College, Cambridge: Organised by the Arthur Bliss Society, this midweek event held over two days is taking place at Pembroke College, of which Bliss was a member when at Cambridge from 1910 to 1913.
Find out more about these and other events at The Bliss Trust website.
Photo credit: Mark Gertler (1891-1939) – http://www.the-athenaeum.org/art/detail.php?ID=156192, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61676312