Painswick Music Society’s 2018 season reached a climax on Saturday 12 May with a recital by Dame Sarah Connolly, one of the greatest mezzo sopranos of our age, accompanied by Joseph Middleton.

The event included the first performance of the society’s newly commissioned work by leading British composer Sally Beamish, entitled Day of These Days setting four poems by Laurie Lee.

Sally was delighted when the poetry of Laurie Lee was suggested to her, as her violinist mother used to play quartets with him back in the 1970s, and Sally named her son Laurie, partly because of her fascination with his work.

Day of These Days, which lasts about 12 minutes, follows the turn of the seasons, beginning and ending with an ecstatic depiction of autumn.

Dame Sarah has based the rest of her programme around composers who have an association with the Royal College of Music including Vaughan Williams, Holst, Gurney, Howells and Britten.

Tickets can be purchased from The Painswick Pharmacy, online at painswickmusicsoc.co.uk, by calling 01285 821854 or on the door.

The concerts start at 3pm in St Mary’s Church, Painswick with afternoon tea available afterwards.