Salisbury Cathedral’s West Green is the setting for Symphony for the Spire. Set against the magnificent backdrop of the cathedral, the evening is a mixture of spectacular special effects and pyrotechnics with a programme of unique stars, including Placido Domingo, Jessye Norman, and cellist Ofra Harnoy. The cathedral’s West Front also acts as an enormous projection screen for a series of dramatic images to support a special adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry V. Starring Kenneth Branagh in the role that made him internationally famous, and Charlton Heston, the action is backed by a special version of the acclaimed score by Scottish composer, Patrick Doyle.
Kathleen Battle & Jessye Norman – Spirituals
Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman teamed up with James Levine for this distinctive selection of famous Spirituals. PROGRAM: In That Great Getting Up Morning; Oh, What A Beautiful City; Lord, How Come Me Here; Over My Head / Lil‘ David; I Believe I‘ll Go Back Home / Lordy, Won‘t You Help Me; Ride on, King Jesus; Swing Low, Sweet Chariot / Ride Up in the Chariot; You Can Tell the World; Scandalize My Name; Great day; Oh, Glory; Calvary / They Crucified My Lord; Talk About a Child; Gospel train; My God Is So High; There is a balm in Gilead; He‘s got the whole world in His hands
Oedipus Rex
This ambitious production uses a number of striking visual elements including a massive set that floats above a reflecting pool, huge puppets and sculptures. The noted Butoh artist, Min Tanaka, dances the role of Oedipus, and is joined by twenty dancers to portry this classical tragedy.
Tchaikovsky Gala from Leningrad
Gala in commemoration of the 150th birthday of Peter Tchaikovsky. On the programme: Eugen Onegin: Polonaise / Sérénade mélancolique, Op. 26 / Valse scherzo, Op. 34 / Chansons francaises, Op. 65, for Voice and Piano / Sérénade, No. 1 / Rondel, No. 6 / Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33 / Jeanne d’Arc (La Pucelle d’Orléans) / Adieu, forets / 1812 Overture, Op 49.
Jessye Norman sings Carmen
Private recording sessions filmed in Paris.
Mythodea
The Mythodea concert in Athens, 2001, was a landmark event showcasing Vangelis’s visionary fusion of electronic and orchestral music. Held at the ancient Herodes Atticus Theater, the performance brought to life his composition Mythodea, originally created as the soundtrack for NASA’s Mars Odyssey Mission. Vangelis performed live on synthesizers, joined by the London Metropolitan Orchestra, sopranos Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman, harpists, the Greek National Opera Chorus, and percussion ensembles Seistron and Typana. The concert combined sweeping electronic soundscapes with classical grandeur, evoking the mystery of space. It remains one of Vangelis’s most iconic performances, celebrating music as a bridge between earth and cosmos.