Monday 28th September 2026, 7.30pm
St Paul’s Hall, University of Huddersfield
Britten Pan from Six Metamorphoses After Ovid
Bach Prelude from Cello suite in D minor
Finzi Interlude
Bach Arioso
Barber Canzonetta
Marcello Oboe Concerto in D minor
Boulanger Nocturne
Interval
Britten Niobe & Arethusa from Six Metamorphoses After Ovid,
Musgrave Niobe for oboe and electronic tape
Ravel Piece en forme de habanera
Poulenc Oboe Sonata
Facer Manhattanheng
Join oboist Ewan Miller and pianist Tomos Boyles for a recital that traces the singing, storytelling voice of the oboe across four centuries of music, from Baroque grace to contemporary experimentation. The first half weaves together Britten’s evocative mythological miniatures with Baroque gems from Bach and Marcello, alongside more intimate, reflective pieces from Finzi, Barber and Boulanger — a sequence rich in lyricism and colour.
The second half continues Britten’s mythological thread, setting his ancient stories in fascinating dialogue with Thea Musgrave’s Niobe for Oboe and Electronic Tape, where myth meets modern sound. From there the programme moves through Ravel’s sultry warmth and Poulenc’s late, elegiac sonata, before closing with a contemporary work that brings this wide-ranging recital right up to the present day.
This is a beautifully varied evening spanning the rich sounds of the oboe and piano, all performed in the intimate acoustic of St Paul’s Hall — a wonderful programme for anyone who loves the expressive, human voice of the oboe.