The Vision of Albion: Fretwork and William Blake

Marking the centenary of Sir Hubert Parry’s celebrated And did those Feet in Ancient Times, composer Graham Treacher will bring his world premiere performance of a new vision of Blake’s final masterpiece to the London stage.

Treacher offers a new insight on the poem. For the first time, he employs texts from Blake’s final masterpiece Jerusalem to make sense of the enigmatic lines taken from Milton, provoking thought on Blake’s original meaning.

Against the backdrop of a visual score by Robert Golden comprising of Blake’s wonderful paintings in their final colouring, the violent story of the Giant Albion unfolds: his intense visions and his walk to the hills of north London, culminating with his prophecy to bring about a ‘Great Harvest and Vintage of the Nations’ through the power of the human imagination. The work forms the second half of The Vision of Albion by the renowned consort of Viols, Fretwork, and tenor Charles Daniels, dedicated to William Blake.

Along with readings from Blake’s Milton by Oliver Ford Davies, including two rarely heard pieces for viol consort by Milton’s father, John Milton senior, the first half is framed by two of Orlando Gibbon’s magnificent six part Fantazias.