Back in 2000 we premièred Julian Philips’ Verses in Solitude at the Bromsgrove Concerts’ Mixing Music series. Verses in Solitude (sound clip here) is based on the life and letters of Emily Dickinson and in the first half we sang some of Julian’s An Amherst Bestiary – a set of songs on Dickinson poetry.
An Amherst Bestiary has 16 animal songs – all wonderful and characterful – as well as a “foreword” and “afterword”, plus a piano prelude – a celebration of nature. Julian intends the performers to select songs to make their own groups as they choose. They are beautiful songs, and we’re sure you’ll enjoy this extract from The Humming Bird. .