Jane Harbour of Spiro and the BBC Concert Orchestra

The BBC Concert Orchestra presents an evening that places some of the great folk-influenced works of the 20th Century alongside a brand new commission from Jane Harbour, violinist and composer with renowned acoustic instrumental group Spiro.

Jane’s commission, Kynde, is a piece about connection; about connections to one another, ourselves, lost loved ones, ancestors, folklore, and how we connect ideas to find new meaning in old stories. Performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra and BBC Singers, and conducted by Martin Yates, it continues the personal journey of the notorious folk figure Barbara Allen, who spurned her dying admirer, but now has to confront her feelings.

With influences including minimalist classical music and electronica, Jane Harbour uses systems music to convey Barbara’s confused, fractured thoughts and her longing for re-connection and clarity.

Throughout the piece, Barbara’s internal world, represented by the live singers, vies with the overt narrative, told by recordings of traditional singers from the Peter Kennedy archive. The source material for his 1950s BBC Radio show As I Roved Out, his recordings form the springboard for this piece.

The programme will also include live performances by Spiro and piano soloist Victor Sangiorgio.

Listen to the concert of BBC Radio 3 from 7.30pm on 31 March.