The World Première of Beamish's 'Variations on a Theme of Benjamin Britten' was performed by the Academy of St Martin in the Fields on 9 May 2013 at Turner Sims, Southampton.

Here are some extracts from Nick Barnard's review for Seen and Heard International.  
For the review in full, please click on 'Details' below.

"The Turner Sims concert hall on the campus of Southampton University pulled off something of a coup by hosting the world première of Sally Beamish's Variations on a Theme of Benjamin Britten. The concert was the first of five performances by the ever-excellent Academy of St Martin in the Fields; there are three more over the next three days culminating, after a gap of 11 days, with the London première on May 23 at the Cadogan Hall. 

"Beamish's new work is instantly appealing, attractive and I would say bound to enter the repertoire of similar groups looking to expand their repertoire. The attentive audience in the hall gave the work and the composer a warm and appreciative reception. I am sure that this is a work that will be performed and enjoyed by players and audiences like for many years.

 "... one of the more imaginatively constructed programmes to celebrate Britten's anniversary. Beamish might have felt his spirit watching over her shoulder – but he was smiling I am sure. A concert to catch..."

Ivan Hewett of the Daily Telegraph talks to Sally about giving up the viola,
bumping into Peter Pears and her new work,
Variations on a Theme of Benjamin Britten. 

Guardian and Sunday Herald journalist Kate Molleson talked to Sally Beamish about her latest premiere, The Intoxicating Rose Garden.

(www.thespace.org) 

Composer Sally Beamish talked to Financial Times journalist Alexander Gilmour

Review of Sally Beamish's ground-breaking work,'Spinal Chords', to a text by The Times award-wining columnist, Melanie Reid. This performance was given at the QEH by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, narrator Juliet Stevenson.

Steven Isserlis gives the Scottish premiere of the 'lost' Debussy Suite for Cello and Orchestra, arranged by Sally Beamish

Reviews for Sally Beamish's new concerto for Scottish Clarsach and Fiddle given in Glasgow at the Celtic Connections Festival January 2012.

  Sally Beamish's oustanding third string quartet, 'Reed Stanzas' performed by the Elias Quartet in MIlngavie, is reviewed by Ken Walton of The Scotsman. 

Sally talks to Anna Tims about her long-standing admiration and relationship with the Master of the Queen's Music, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2011/aug/03/artists-artist-modern-composers?INTCMP=SRCH

Sally's commission 'DIVAN' for the group Fretwork, has been nominated for a British Composer Award in the vocal category. The final selection takes place at Stationer's Hall in London on the 30th November 2010.

Sir Mark Elder discusses Sally Beamish and Dvorak - YouTube
Sir Mark Elder talks about Sally Beamish's new cello concerto and Dvorak's late tone poem ...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLNw79vLhdE

Review: New work for cello gets thrilling debut with Minnesota Orchestra

Into the Light Radio

The Music of Women Composers

http://www.intothelightradio.org/news.html

The Storyteller

Sally Beamish´s Viola concertos

by Sally Beamish

Early Career

I have been fascinated with the concerto form since my first violin teacher, my mother, put a Vivaldi concerto in front of me to try and revive my waning interest at the age of nine. I had been playing the piano since age five, and it was strongly inked to composing. the violin was more of a struggle and didn´t come naturally. But  when Mum told me what a concerto was, I was hooked. It was something about the drama of it: the soloist, like an actor or a storyteller, standing in front of the orchestra, relating to orchestra, conductor, and audience as protagonist and central character...