Nocturnal

Wednesday 1 April 2026 - Thursday 2 April 2026

“In the dark, I listen to the world’s slow rhythms. It’s in the night when I feel most at home in myself.” – Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar 

This concert is all about the shift when the sun goes down. The quiet hum of the streets, the way shadows stretch longer, and the thoughts that only surface in the dark. Join us for an enchanting hour of dynamic and exciting music with a nocturnal theme.  

Philip Glass’s String Quartet No.3 is characteristic of his trademark hypnotic and meditative music. It formed part of the soundtrack to the 1985 biographical film, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, about the life of a controversial Japanese writer and activist, in which Glass’ music indicates transformations in the characters from light to dark. 

Terry Riley’s Sunrise of the Planetary Dream Collector takes its inspiration from a conversation with a friend’s seven-year old daughter about a supernatural figure who collects and distributes dreams (think The BFG…). It’s a high energy work, full of leaps and twists and things that go jump in the night.  

Sinfonia Cymru’s violinist Anna Tulchinskaya has curated this concert. An extremely talented young musician, you might remember her from last year’s concert featuring Shoshtakovich’s String Quartet No.11, which we toured to Lampeter, Newport, Chepstow and Hay-on-Wye. She travels into the night as part of our string quartet made up of dynamic professional musicians aged under 30. She’s also bringing music from two composer acquaintances, Emma Jean and James Weatherley-Buss, with their musical interpretations of the early hours.  

If you’ve ever found yourself staring out of a window at midnight, lost in thought, this one’s for you.