Red Ink: String Masterworks

Experience an evening of some of the most powerful and beloved works in the string repertoire, performed by Bristol Ensemble under the direction of Leon Bosch.

Bristol Ensemble
Leon Bosch director/double bass

Barber Adagio for Strings
Elgar Introduction and Allegro
Britten Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge
Woodborne Red Ink

At the heart of the programme are three iconic masterpieces: Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber, the radiant Introduction and Allegro by Edward Elgar, and the brilliant Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge by Benjamin Britten, each one a masterwork of the string repertoire.

Alongside these celebrated works, Bosch performs the deeply moving Red Ink: Concerto for Double Bass and String Orchestra by Shane Woodborne, taking on the rare dual role of soloist and conductor, leading the ensemble directly from the double bass.

Red Ink serves as a musical memorial to the Soweto Uprising of 1976 where thousands of South African students protested against apartheid-era education policies. For Bosch, who was himself a student activist during the events of 1976, the work carries a deeply personal resonance.

This Bristol performance of Red Ink also forms part of a wider project with BBC Radio 3, charting Leon Bosch’s life and artistic journey in the context of the 50th anniversary of the Soweto Uprising.

Leon Bosch

Leon Bosch has built an international career as a performer and conductor and is one of the few double bass players to conduct chamber and symphonic ensembles directly from the instrument. A prolific recording artist with twenty solo albums, he is a committed advocate for new music, collaborating with contemporary composers to expand and diversify the double bass repertoire.