Scenes From The Wild

About

Scenes from the Wild is a commissioned song cycle created for City of London Sinfonia’s 50th-anniversary season. Cheryl Frances-Hoad composed the music and Amanda Holden fashioned the libretto from Dara McAnulty’s Diary of a Young Naturalist. The tenor voice gives musical form to McAnulty’s perspective, while the chamber orchestra evokes the living environment, with instruments associated with particular birds. Sarah Dowling is credited as movement director, adding a physical performance layer rather than full theatrical staging. Geoffrey Paterson conducts City of London Sinfonia, with William Morgan as the tenor soloist. The world premiere took place at Southwark Cathedral on 25 November 2021, followed by two further performances on 27 November at the same venue. Reviews report an approximate duration of 80–90 minutes and note differing song counts (26 or 27), which the production materials preserve without forcing a single number.