Celebrating a great son of Horsham​​​​​​​ - Percy Bysshe Shelley

They’re joined by two other notable Sussex residents – Radio 4’s Chris Aldridge who’ll read some of Shelley’s most iconic poems, and mezzo-soprano Angharad Lyddon, a finalist in the Cardiff Singer of the World 2019.

Steve Dummer, Stane Street Sinfonietta’s conductor, said: ”Shelley is, famously, one of the most musical of the great poets and hearing his poetry read live, especially by such a consummate professional as Chris Aldridge, mingled with the music that we’ve carefully chosen, should be a wonderful experience. It’s quite surprising how little Shelley’s connection to Horsham is celebrated but we hope our concert will help to generate a greater knowledge and interest in him, his work and his links to the area.

“We’re going to be joined by the international star mezzo-soprano Angharad Lyddon in Ottorino Respighi’s Il Tramonto, which sets an Italian translation of Shelley’s The Sunset. It’s like a 15-minute mini-opera full of gloriously passionate music that sounds like a mixture of Puccini, Wagner, early Schoenberg and maybe echoes of Ravel and Debussy.

“We’re also playing Another Orpheus, a wonderfully intense and dramatic piece by John Hawkins, inspired by a quote from Shelley’s poem Hellas, which was written to raise money for the Greek War of Independence.

“There’s also music by Beethoven, Frank Bridge and William Walton, which, although not directly inspired by Shelley, inhabits the same aesthetic orbit as the poems and will hopefully heighten their impact.”

Established in 2018, Stane Street Sinfonietta is a vibrant and exciting professional chamber orchestra featuring musicians who work in Britain and internationally but were either born and bred or currently live and work in Sussex.

Tickets are £22 and £5 for under 18s. More details available on www.stanstreetsinfonietta.com