With its sonorous tone, swan-like elegance and an expressive range that gives the human voice a run for its money, no other instrument manages to play on our heart strings quite like the cello.

Performing together for the very first time and guided by their collective musical influences, William Butt, Rosalie Curlett, Martin Johnson and Ailbhe McDonagh have crafted an inspirational and varied programme which celebrates the beauty of their instrument.

Audiences can look forward to marvellous arrangements of works by Bach, Beethoven and Bartók, Mozart's beautiful Ave verum corpus, a fiery exchange between two cellos in Barrière’s popular Sonata, as well as Debussy’s uber-romantic Clair de lune and Gershwin’s jazz-infused "Summertime". Contemporary music for this unusual combination is well catered for in Ailbhe McDonagh’s own Cellango and in An Autumn Night's Dream, a new Music Network commission by Conor Linehan.

Along with this beautiful programme of music, viewers will hear from the musicians in interviews hosted by Music Network's CEO Sharon Rollston, and composer Conor Linehan will introduce his new work in a short Composer Insight Session during the broadcast.

Programme:

Debussy Clair de lune
W.A. Mozart Ave verum corpus KV 618
J.S. Bach Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D minor (BWV 1004)
Beethoven Adagio cantabile (2nd movement) from Sonata No. 8, Op. 13 “Pathétique”
Conor Linehan An Autumn Night's Dream New Music Network Commission
Ailbhe McDonagh Cellango
Barrière Sonata for two cellos No. 10 in G major
Gershwin "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess
Bartók Romanian Folk Dances (Sz68)

Listen to William Butt, Rosalie Curlett, Martin Johnson and Alibhe McDonagh perform:

https://soundcloud.com/music-network-irl/debussy-clair-de-lune