Guildhall Studio Orchestra perform Turnage and Scofield's 'Scorched'

Guildhall Studio Orchestra (Photo Matthew Ferguson)

Inspired by a Francis Bacon painting, Mark-Anthony Turnage's Blood on the Floor was his first work to include a significant amount of improvisation alongside a contemporary orchestra, with the premiere featuring jazz guitarist John Scofield alongside Ensemble Modern. This led to a closer collaboration between Turnage and Scofield, whose music Turnage loves, resulting in a new work by the two of them.

Scorched, for jazz-trio and orchestra, premiered in 2002 with Hugh Wolff conducting the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra (for whom it was commissioned) with John Scofield, John Patitucci and Peter Erskine. The work's title is a compression of Scofield Orchestrated, but the work is far more than an orchestration of Scofield's music and represents a synthesis of the two composers, Mark-Anthony Turnage and John Scofield.

On Wednesday 11 January 2023 at Milton Court Concert Hall, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama is presenting the Guildhall Studio Orchestra, conducted by Scott Stroman in John Scofield and Mark-Anthony Turnage's Scorched.

Full details from the Guildhall School website.