Project creators Shiry Rashkovsky (viola) and Lucy Schaufer (mezzo-soprano), debut performance at Up Close and Musical © Dimitri Djuric

Storm Song

new chamber works for voice, piano, and strings

“The centre of the storm is the centre of my heart” — Jeanette Winterson

The power and majesty of storms dazzle, inspire and leave us awe-struck. Often changed.

Finding our own inspiration from poetry and works about storms both natural and metaphysical, we have put together a programme of existing chamber works written for the combination of voice, strings, and piano, and we have commissioned two pieces especially for Storm Song. In honouring the centenary of the Harlem Renaissance, Bobbie-Jane Gardner, (CBSO, BBC Concert Orchestra, Netflix’s Queen Charlotte) will embrace the seminal work of Jean Toomer’s Storm Ending from his 1923 book, “Cane,” and Adrian Sutton (National Theatre’s War Horse, Violin Concerto BBC Philharmonic/Chandos), will explore the spatial poetry of South African poet and actress Lebogang Mashile in a new song cycle called Moveable Maps. Storm Song will tour and record in the 2024-2025/26 season.

The concert devised by Schaufer and Rashkovsky is available in 60 and 90 minute formats.

Program to include:

• Storm Song by Deborah Pritchard (Jeanette Winterson) voice, cello, piano

• A Storm from Paradise by Jocelyn Pook (John Milton/James I) voice, viola - originally written for the theatre, this will be its first UK tour in concert

• The Ride in the Helium Balloon by Stephen Barber (Carol Hall) voice, viola, cello, piano

Worl premiere performances (opportunity for co-commissions with Wild Plum Arts):

• Storm Ending by Bobbie-Jane Gardner (Jean Toomer) voice, violin, viola, cello, piano

• Moveable Maps (song cycle) by Adrian Sutton (Lebogang Mashile) voice, violin, viola, cello, piano

Grammy Award winning Lucy Schaufer is voracious and versatile in her choice of repertoire.. Her career takes her to international theatres and concert halls, singing major roles in Sondheim, Mozart, Weill, and Bernstein with the John Wilson Orchestra at the BBC Proms to the most demanding new music, leading Gramophone Magazine to say “she occupies an undefinable space in the ‘who’s who’ of classical music.” Shortlisted for 2023 Royal Phiiharmonic Society Singer of the Year, Lucy is a mentor, creative producer, and artistic director of Wild Plum Arts.

Trio Klein (violinist Kamila Bydlowska, violist Shiry Rashkovsky and cellist Ella Rundle) are dedicated to innovative programming, and enjoy a busy and diverse international schedule. Their groundbreaking ‘Trio Klein’s 80s Night’ programme, which places classical trios alongside arrangements of minimalist works and pop songs from the same decade was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3; elsewhere they have been featured in Classical Music Magazine, The Strad and on RAI TV, and were Artists in Residence at University of Surrey 2023/2024.

Ben Dawson has earned an international reputation as a pianist and musician at home in the most diverse range of musical styles and environments. He has appeared as a concerto soloist with major orchestras in the UK and abroad, featured on numerous film and television soundtracks, written music for film, and appeared on-screen as a performer in TV productions. In 2022, comedian, satirist and actor Barry Humphries asked Ben to play for him, on what was to be his final tour, with more than 30 performances of “The Man Behind the Mask”.