Red Ink

Bristol Ensemble marks 50 years since Soweto Uprising with this powerful musical memorial led by Leon Bosch.

In this performance, Bosch takes on the rare dual role of soloist and conductor, leading the ensemble from the double bass, creating a uniquely intimate and powerful musical experience.

‘Red Ink: Concerto for Double Bass and String Orchestra’ is a 2019 composition by the South African-born composer Shane Woodborne. The piece was written as a musical memorial to the Soweto Uprising of 1976 where thousands of South African students protested against apartheid-era education policies, only to be met with violent repression.

Raised in South Africa and the son of political activist Jonas Fred Bosch, the story at the heart of Red Ink is profoundly personal as Bosch was himself a student activist in 1976 and spent time in a police cell for organising protests while at school.

The concerto forms the emotional centrepiece of the programme and is structured into three movements: The Dawn of a Fateful Day, Confrontation and Tragedy and A Song of Mourning

In addition, the programme features some of the most emotionally resonant works in the string repertoire, conducted by Bosch:

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

This Bristol performance forms part of an upcoming programme for BBC Radio 3 charting Leon Bosch’s life and artistic journey in the context of the 50th anniversary of the Soweto Uprising.

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.