Sir Andrew Davis, conductor

BBC Symphony Orchestra

Dame Sarah Connolly, mezzo-soprano

James Platt, bass

BBC Symphony Chorus

 

Bliss: The Enchantress

Bliss: Meditations on a Theme by John Blow

Bliss: Mary of Magdala

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Sir Andrew Davis continues to champion the lesser-known works of Sir Arthur Bliss with this coupling of The Enchantress, Mary of Magdala and Meditations on a theme by John Blow. Dame Sarah Connolly and James Platt are the soloists, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. The three distinctive works by Sir Arthur Bliss (1891 1975) on this recording span his sixties and early seventies, from 1951 onwards, the year of his sixtieth birthday, during which he composed The Enchantress for Kathleen Ferrier. The BBC Symphony Chorus was founded in 1928 and its early appearances included the UK premieres of Bartóks Cantata profana, Stravinskys Perséphone, and Mahlers Eighth Symphony. Each year it appears regularly with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican Centre, as well as performing at the BBC Proms, frequently at the iconic First and Last Nights. It maintains an undiminished commitment to new music, performing a wide range of challenging repertoire, often with the BBC SO, most of which is broadcast on BBC Radio 3.