Oxford's Olympic Commission

Oxford composer Richard Causton has received a prestigious commission as part of the 2012 London Cultural Olympiad.

PRS for Music Foundation has announced 20 outstanding pieces of new music which will feature centre stage at the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad as London hosts the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The twenty works commissioned for New Music 20x12 each last 12 minutes and offer a snapshot of the quality and diversity of new music in the UK. Each piece will be broadcast by BBC Radio 3 and tour the UK – ensuring as many people as possible have the opportunity to enjoy excellent new music as part of the celebrations in 2012.

Oxford University Press is delighted that house composer Richard Causton has been commissioned to write a new piece, entitled Twenty-Seven Heavens, for the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) as part of the project.

Twenty-Seven Heavens will explore Blake’s Jerusalem where the poet parallels aspects of his mythological world with various districts of London, including areas such as Hackney, Bow and Stratford. The twenty-seven heavens are layers of obscurity that the individual must penetrate to see the vision of Eternity - an idea which has resonance for both the artist and the athlete.

Notes for Editors

Richard Causton's music is published by Oxford University Press. For more information about the composer please contact:

OUP Music Department: Repertoire Promotion
+44 (0)1865 355021
Email Repertoire Promotion