“Devilishly good and heavenly contagious”. That’s how De Luister magazine described Dutch/Portuguese foursome the Maat Saxophone Quartet’s playing on their debut recording. As boundary-pushing as they themselves are, Blackbird is an inventive tribute to female creativity, equality and musical freedom.

The medieval chants of Hildegard of Bingen thread together nine centuries of music, the ethereal sound translating perfectly to the solo saxophone. Lili Boulanger lends two short pieces originally written for violin and piano, and Henriëtte Bosmans’s string quartet adds both romantic and modern styles. Nina Simone’s version of a Gershwin favourite, Porgy, I Is Your Woman, and Paul McCartney’s Blackbird nod to struggles for rights and freedoms, while Gershwin’s jazzy Rhapsody in Blue also features. The world premiere of a new commission from Aleksandra Vrebalov explores the full range of the instrument with a fresh, modern voice.

An hour-long Sunday morning concert, with coffee/tea and a slice of cake available beforehand, included in your ticket.

Rising Stars are nominated by the artistic directors of Europe’s most prestigious venues which are members of the European Concert Hall Organisation (ECHO).

See the full B:Classical Season here