91Èȱ¬

The composer and multi-instrumentalist Nitin Sawhney has been commissioned to write a contemporary piece in response to Benjamin Britten’s piece War Requiem, which was premiered 60 years ago.

Nitin’s new piece, like Benjamin Britten’s work, will be premiered in Coventry Cathedral in England’s Midlands. It will be performed both inside the cathedral and in the preserved ruins of the old cathedral that was bombed in WWII. The new work, called Ghosts in the Ruins, will be a response to Britten’s War Requiem but with a 21st century twist, concentrating on the plight of refugees and migrants. In the Studio follows Nitin as he works with professional musicians, poets and community choirs to create this site-specific work of art.

Known for studio albums including the acclaimed Beyond Skin, Nitin's career has seen him collaborate with major international artists including Paul McCartney, Sting, Mira Nair, Anoushka Shankar, Norah Jones and Herbie Hancock, as well as working with Nelson Mandela. His film and TV music includes Netflix's Mowgli and the 91Èȱ¬â€™s epic Human Planet series. In 2017, he received the Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement Award.

Image: Nitin Sawhney (Credit: Suki Dhanda)