On the heels of his Companion of Honor citation, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies will celebrate his 80th birthday with performances of Linguae Ignis, Revelation and Fall and A Mirror of Whitening Light as part of the BBC Proms.
Back on July 22, Sir Davies attended a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace with Queen Elizabeth II, during which he relinquished his post as Master of the Queen’s Music in the presence of successor Judith Weir.
Maxwell Davies commented on the laurel: “I am delighted to be joining such distinguished company in receiving the Order of the Companions of Honor. It is vital that society acknowledges the importance of the arts and related fields, and, for me, this honor is recognition for the art of composition and classical music in general. Anything that raises the profile of our art form is both wonderful and most welcome.”
The birthday program, chosen by the composer himself, features principal cellist Tim Gill as the soloist in Linguae with Sian Edwards conducting (following her Proms Saturday matinee appearance last year).
The first of the birthday performances took place on August 14 with members of the London Sinfonietta Academy performing a selection of chamber works by--introduced, and in conversation, with the composer.
The second performance is set for Saturday, August 30 at 3 p.m. in London's Cadogan Hall. Tickets go for £12, £10, £5.
Listen below to Peter Maxwell Davies’s Sinfonia No. 6, Op.176 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
