Composers take on the limelight

Next Friday evening 12-year-old Klara Waring will step on stage at St Mary In the Castle to undertake the ultimate role.

She’ll be playing God.

The occasion will be the world premiere of excerpts from a new multi-faith Oratorio called Libera Nos by Hastings-based Argentinian-born composer Polo Piatti. The performance will be part of the International Composers Festival, of which Polo is the founder and artistic director.

The Oratorio reflects all the major world religions and Polo commented: “I think God created the world in innocence – it is not perfect. A young girl symbolizes that innocence”.

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She is a member of a children’s choir formed for the event by pupils from Battle Abbey School aged from 9 to 13. They will be singing in both English and Latin.

The Oratorio is Polo’s largest commission and took two years to write. The concert will take place on the second night of the Festival. It will also feature world-premieres and performances of chosen work from composers from countries all over the world, including Mexico, Austria, Brazil, USA, Japan and the United Kingdom.

The night before, Thursday September 24, a concert at All Saints Church in Hastings Old Town will feature the music of the distinguished Japanese composer Nobuya Monta, including his new one act opera ‘Otohime’, performed in stunning national costumes by a cast flying in from Japan.

On Saturday September 26 the Festival moves to Bexhill for a morning concert at the De La Warr Pavilion with works by both established and up-and-coming composers. The grand finale of the Festival will be a concert called ‘A Feast of Film Music’ featuring music by some of today’s best-known composers for the cinema. They include Stephen Warbeck (‘Shakespeare in Love’), Patrick Hawes (‘The Incredible Mr Ritchie’), Nigel Hess (‘Ladies in Lavender’), Hans Zimmer (‘Pirates of the Caribbean’) and John Williams (‘Schindler’s List’).

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A special feature of the Festival will be two open rehearsals, when the public can attend for free and see composers and musicians meeting for the first time to rehearse new works. The first will be at St Mary In the Castle on the afternoon of Friday September 25 for that evening’s concert. The second will be at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill for the final concert of the Festival. Both start at 3pm. For further ticket information go to the Festival website at www.composersfestival.com.

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