Past Projects
Bernstein in Chichester 2018
A celebration of the life and work of Leonard Bernstein in the city of Chichester in the year of the great composer's centenary.
When Leonard Bernstein told his commissioner and great patron of the arts, Dean Walter Hussey, that the title of his forthcoming new work would change from Psalms of Youth to Chichester Psalms the composer and one of the most often performed choral masterpieces of the 20th century became inextricably linked to the city itself. A 10 month celebration of events in the cathedral city of Chichester that featured performances, theatre, talks, films, revues and exhibitions culminated in a performance of Chichester Psalms with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in Chichester Cathedral under the baton of Bernstein protegée Marin Alsop. The performance took place in the presence of the composer's son, Alexander Bernstein and those who had met the composer including choristers of the cathedral choir who premiered the work in Chichester Cathedral in July 1965 - attended on that occasion by the composer himself and his young family.