Programme
John Wilson
Northern School Of Music (NSM), Houldsworth Hall
1964

The Manchester première of Tippett's A Child of Our Time was given by the Northern School of Music in 1964. First performed in 1944 it was based on stories of a WW2 refugee Herschel Grynszpan who assassinated Ernst vom Rath, and composed at the start of WW2 just before Tippett was imprisoned for conscientious objection.
Despite it being a relatively young piece, "the contemporary scene changes so kaleidoscopically that premature senility overtakes many a work comparatively young in years. There is no doubt about its sincerity, its roots in humanistic sincerity.” The performance was “a restrained one,” and “there was no attempt to undermine the numerous pungencies of expression. The chorus sang with admirable tone and style, though some of the subtleties of Tippett’s orchestral texture proved elusive.” A mixed review then?

Ref: NSM/20

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund