A Sheen of Dew on Flowers by Talbot, št 11 apr 2019, Od (2019/2019), Dirigent Natalie Murray Beale, Barbican Centre, London, United Kingdom

To celebrate the bi-centenary of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s birth in 2019, Independent Opera (IO) and Britten Sinfonia presented the first public performance of Joby Talbot’s cantata A Sheen of Dew on Flowers at the Barbican Hall. For this major new commission from IO, Talbot took inspiration from Queen Victoria’s sapphire and diamond coronet designed for her by Prince Albert. A radiant and lyric score brings to life the story of one of the greatest marriages in history whilst reflecting on the tender themes of love and loss. “A Sheen of Dew on Flowers sets sacred texts by women, collected from all parts of the world and written across three millennia. The poems (translated into English by the American poet Jane Hirshfield) speak of love and mourning and suggest a burgeoning love affair that is cut short by bereavement. It thus mirrors the story of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's own relationship, while celebrating the great museum that was such an important part of their shared vision.”