The Silent Planet

Wed 3 Jul 2024 / 7.30pm / RNCM Concert Hall
The Silent Planet

In Holst’s 150th anniversary year, his iconic masterpiece The Planets is reimagined in an exciting and truly poignant way.

A unique artistic partnership, BBC Radio 3 musician Delia Stevens and three-time BBC Radio 2 Folk Musician of the Year nominee Will Pound are known for innovatively blending classical and folk traditions – much like Holst did himself. Now, alongside the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the next generation of musicians from the Royal Northern College of Music, they come together to breathe new life into four movements of The Planets – melding orchestral elements with everything from reggae to bossa nova and bluegrass.

Stevens and Pound have also co-written an additional ‘Earth’ movement with climate activists from the international youth organisation, Force of Nature. Thought-provoking and inspiring, this new composition uses the power of music to amplify unheard voices around climate change, urging listeners to recognise the environmental issues we face today.

Whether you’re a Holst devotee, a folk music fan, or simply a follower of vibrant new works, don’t miss this important and extraordinary melding of musical worlds.

Silent Planet Suite (première)
Holst’s Planets re-imagined Delia Stevens & Will Pound / orch Ian Gardiner
Mars, the Bringer of War
Mercury, the Winged Messenger
Venus, the Bringer of Peace
Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
Earth – new work by Stevens & Pound and Force of Nature / orch Gardiner

Clark Rundell conductor
Will Pound harmonica
Delia Stevens percussion
Phoebe Hanson speaker, Force of Nature
Musicians from the RNCM and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra