We Are Laid Asleep was commissioned by Peter Rose Trust but premiered by Cumbrian Rural Choirs Saturday, 26th March 2022 at 7.30 pm at St Andrews Parish Church, Penrith
We Are Laid Asleep was written to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the birth of one of the world's most celebrated poets, William Wordsworth. Scored for mixed voices and piano with optional strings, harp and percussion, this 13 minute choral suite contains settings of words by William Wordsworth from Tintern Abbey
St. Andrew’s Church, Penrith was selected as the venue for this concert because of Wordsworth’s historical associations with the town in which he spent his early school years. We celebrated the lives of both William and his sister Dorothy, also a poet and author. Originally planned for 2020, marking the 250th anniversary of the birth of William, the event also marked the 250th anniversary of the birth of Dorothy on December 25th 1771. During their time in Penrith, William and Dorothy attended Dame Birkett’s infant school in St. Andrews’s Place.
The concert provided an opportunity for us to premier the three commissioned works from the cancelled concert in 2020 including We are Laid Asleep (Will Todd)