On the Nature of Daylight Tour
- Jump to →
- What you'll hear
- All about the music
- Take a listen
Dynamic. Eclectic. Shines bright.
Who’s on stage?
Saxophone superstar Jess Gillam, with the string players of Royal Northern Sinfonia and special guest director Caroline Pether.
What are they playing?
An eclectic array of music for saxophone and strings that spans four centuries. There’s stately Baroque concertos, elegant French songs, 21st century minimalism and even a bit of David Bowie.
Need to know
Tickets for Sedbergh, Berwick and Bishop Auckland are sold by the venue.
Tickets for Hexham Abbey are sold through The Glasshouse.
Hexham only:
Price: £25
Discounts: save if you’re under 17.
Seating: unallocated – arrive early to get the best view.
What you'll hear
Benjamin Britten Les Illuminations
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Allegro Assai from Flute Concerto in A Minor
Max Richter On The Nature Of Daylight
Camille Saint-Saëns La Lever de la Lune
Kurt Weill Lost in the Stars
David Heath The Celtic
Edward Elgar Serenade
Georg Philipp Telemann Concerto in G Major for Oboe TWV 51:G2
Nadia Boulanger Cantique
David Bowie Life on Mars
Andrzej Panufnik & Roxanna Panufnik Modlitwa (Prayer)
Antonin Dvořák Nocturne
John Harle RANT!
Who's playing it
Jess Gillam saxophone
Caroline Pether director
Royal Northern Sinfonia
What's happening in the music?
Expect to see the saxophone in a whole new light, in the hands of a truly exceptional musician. It hadn’t been invented when CPE Bach and Telemann were writing in the 1700s but their concertos sound glorious on it. It wasn’t the intended voice for songs by Saint-Saens, Boulanger or Weill but the melodies shine.
Add in a bit of experimental pop-rock from David Bowie, minimalist masterpiece On the Nature of Daylight, and a couple of folky contemporary compositions – David Heath’s The Celtic and John Harle’s Rant! – and it’s the perfect joyful, eclectic mix to show off the versatility of player and instrument.
Take a listen
Fellow saxophonist John Harle composed Rant! especially for Jess in 2018. It features folk tunes from her home town of Ulverston in Cumbria.