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Gallery: composer manuscripts to be auctioned to raise money for BBC Children in Need

Gramophone
Wednesday, November 4, 2015

James MacMillan: “It’s a quote from a piece I wrote for the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra for the BBC Proms in 1990, and it was first performed there in August of that year, conducted by Jerzy Maksimiuk. Entitled 'The Confession of Isobel Gowdie' it is a tone poem based on the true story of a woman accused of witchcraft in the north of Scotland in the 17th century. It was a commission from the BBC Proms, and was one of my first works to reach a wide audience."
Mark-Anthony Turnage has offered a page from his opera Anna Nicole
Eric Whitacre: “I’m donating a signed, handwritten manuscript of the opening bars of one of my most performed choral pieces, Lux Aurumque, to the Radio 3 auction to support BBC Children in Need. I wrote Lux in the late 90's and asked my dear friend, poet and historian Charles Anthony Silvestri, to translate the words of Edward Esch to Latin for the piece. I knew that I wanted to try to create something very simple and very beautiful for this text."
The manuscript of Judith Weir's new work Praise Him with Trumpet: “It’s a piece I wrote for the Chapel Royal Choir, Hampton Court to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Hampton Court Palace. It will receive its first performance on Monday 16 November. It is a loud, energetic piece scored for choir, organ and two trumpets. The pages have a lot of crazy handwriting and coloured pen; maybe the auction winner might like to stick a page or two up on the wall.”

BBC Radio 3 have today launched an online auction of handwritten manuscripts by several leading composers to support BBC Children in Need’s 2015 Appeal. Contributors include Eric Whitacre, James MacMillan, Judith Weir, Mark-Anthony Turnage and Raymond Yiu, and you can view each of their manuscripts in the gallery above by clicking on any of the images. 

Alan Davey, Controller of BBC Radio 3 said: 'I am delighted Radio 3 is supporting Children in Need and the vital work the charity does for young people across the nation. Contemporary classical music is at the heart of Radio 3 so we’re thrilled and incredibly grateful that some of the greatest composers of our time are generously offering our listeners the rare chance to get hold of a piece of musical history, all in aid of a hugely important cause.'

All of the manuscripts are available for bids now, with the auction ending at midnight on November 13. For more information, visit: bbc.co.uk/radio3

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