Page 597 - Media Coverage Book - 75th Aldeburgh Festival 2024

The cast of Curlew River | Photo credit: Marcus Roth

The instrumentalists from the Britten Pears Arts Young Artist Programme were not seen but well
and truly heard, with a performance as beautifully carved as the wooden arches above. The flute

evokes the titular curlews – and the occasional gull – soaring over the reedy marshes. The
storybook elements present in Britten's early work are here: a piano and flute glissandi motif is

used every time the Ferryman dips his oar, for example.

These seemingly innocuous aspects offset the emotional weight of the vocal parts, sung by a
stellar cast. Willard White's Abbot filled the space with ease; Duncan Rock's Ferryman was worthy
of Dante's Inferno. The central three-plank stage had a practical purpose: without tiered seating it

meant there was a better chance of seeing something – but, more importantly, it provided space
for the pilgrims' progress. They walk solemnly for the Te lucis ante terminum, a plainsong that

reappears in various guises throughout the work.