Manchester Symphony Orchestra will perform a world premiere during its “Take Flight” concert Sunday in Warsaw.
“The Flock” is a double concerto by Jacob Warren and Grant Flick featuring Warren on upright bass and Flick on classical guitar, violin and the Swedish folk instrument nyckelharpa.
Conductor and Artistic Director Debra Lynn says the piece is “hot off the press” with the score having been received in March. Premiering new work takes a different mindset than an established work, she says in a news release.
“For one thing, there are no recorded references,” Lynn says. “If we perform a Mozart symphony or a Beethoven concerto, I have a myriad of recorded performances to consult for interpretive elements such as tempo, articulation, and expressive nuance. With a premiere, we are creating the definitive performance against which other symphonies will measure themselves in the future. So, it’s a big responsibility guided only by the notes on the page.”
Lynn has enjoyed working with the composers, known as Warren & Flick. The pair’s three albums all carry bird themes, and Lynn says “The Flock” an exciting and unique piece of symphonic music.
The “Take Flight” concert features works inspired by things that fly, from mythological creatures to airplanes, clouds, aliens and more. It includes the U.S. premiere of “A Small White Cloud Drifts over Ireland” by Irish composer Seóirse Bodley, as well as the well-known “Flying Theme” from “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” by John Williams.
“Take Flight” is the final concert of the orchestra’s 87th season.