Paying tribute Dame Diana Rigg, who died yesterday aged 82, here is a video of the actress from 2012, presenting a performance of Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending as it was originally heard in the composer’s time: in a version for violin and piano, and staged at Shirehampton Public Hall near Bristol where the piece was performed for the very first time in December 1920. The violinist is the then-15-year-old Julia Hwang and the pianist is Charles Matthews.

The performance was part of a documentary in which Rigg explored the story behind The Lark Ascending and investigated the reasons why the piece continues to strike a chord with so many people today.

 Nicola Benedetti performs The Lark Ascending at the Last Night of the Proms tomorrow evening.

Read: BBC Proms announces Last Night amendment

 

 

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