Into the Little Hill in Barcelona

This spine-tingling re-imagining of The Pied Piper fable receives a welcome revival following its acclaimed London premiere in 2009. Into the Little Hill is George Benjamin’s first music theatre work and won him a Royal Philharmonic Society Award. The Opera Group/London Sinfonietta 2009 production was also nominated in the Opera category at the South Bank Show Awards in 2010.

Desperate to shore up a flagging public vote, a morally bankrupt politician promises to exterminate a town’s plague of rats. A faceless stranger arrives and offers his services; but when the Mayor refuses to pay, his actions have terrible repercussions for the town’s population. The telling of the story is pared-down, with just two female singers sharing all the roles. However, the eerily beautiful and highly original score, performed by an ensemble of fifteen, is rich and totally spell-binding.

On this occasion the piece will be accompanied by three other George Benjamin pieces for small ensemble. Fantastia VII is Benjamin's arrangement of a piece by Henry Purcell which was recently featured in London Sinfonietta's Remix festival . This will be performed alongside Flight for solo flute and Viola, Viola for two solo violas.

Image: Claire Booth and Susan Bickley, © Alastair Muir, 2009