10 December 2007
City tunes in to Bridgetower Opera
The City of London today (10 December) took possession of the
score to the Bridgetower Opera, a piece it commissioned for the
City of London Festival 2007.
The jazz opera, composed by virtuoso pianist Julian Joseph, was
the highlight of the 2007 City of London Festival, which centred on
performances dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the
parliamentary abolition of the Slave Trade Act.
Chairman of the City of London Libraries, Archives and Guildhall
Art Gallery Committee, Stephen Quilter, said the score represented
a valuable addition to Guildhall Library’s collection.
“The City of London commissioned the opera to commemorate a
turning point in British history. The artistic portrayal of the
life of George Bridgewater was magical in concert and we trust many
Guildhall Library visitors will be able to share and reflect on the
music and its underlying message of freedom and equality,” Stephen
Quilter said.
The score tells the remarkable story of George Polgreen
Bridgetower, son of an Abyssinian ex-slave, who was a violin
prodigy, studied with Haydn, and played with Beethoven.
The English Touring Opera will be showcasing the opera
throughout the UK in the Autumn.
The score of the Bridgetower Opera will be on public view at the
Guildhall Library from December 2007.
Bridgetower: A Fable of 1807
Julian Joseph – composer
Mike Phillips – librettist
Helen Eastman – director
Press queries to Cubby Fox at City of London on 020 7332
3451.