- Carwithen’s overture for full orchestra, Bishop Rock, was written in 1952 and subsequently chosen to open the City of Birmingham Orchestra’s season of Promenade Concerts. The success of the premiere helped solidify Carwithen as a composer of note throughout Britain.
- Bishop Rock is the name of a lighthouse that stands at the furthermost point of Western England. The lighthouse represents both the last sight of land for the seafarer as well as a sign of welcome for travelers arriving from the “New World.”
- Carwithen’s overture depicts the famous lighthouse in both storm and calm.1
Sources
- Doreen Carwithen, “Bishop Rock (1952)” in accompanying booklet, Carwithen: Orchestral Works performed by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Richard Hickox, CHAN 9524, 1997, compact disc.
Cut IDs
22562