The Aeolian Harp: a source of musical inspiration
Programme devised and introduced by Peter Crossley-Holland
René Soames (tenor)
Clifton Helliwell (accompanist)
London Chamber Orchestra
(Leader. Andrew Cooper )
Conductor, Anthony Bernard
From remotest antiquity the music of nature has fascinated man, speaking of things beyond his ordinary experience. Priests and bards among the ancients knew the gods of the elements and listened to their voices, even constructing instruments through which they could speak more plainly. The Aeolian harp, a more recent invention of man, but played without human agency, is named after Aeolus, Greek god of the winds. It had an extraordinary power during the romantic period, and this programme-containing works by composers from Berlioz to Elgar-is designed to show how much the music of man owes to the music of nature.
Peter Crossley-Holland