Alec Roth

The Traveller

Alec Roth's The Traveller is an oratorio for solo tenor, solo violin, mixed choir, children's choir and an orchestra consisting of strings, harp and percussion. Vikram Seth has not only written six new poems for the work, but has also translated twenty Indian texts from a variety of traditions and languages, including Sanskrit, Pali, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali and Tamil, into English. The work, which focuses on the ages of man, is divided into six main sections: Unborn - Child - Youth - Adult - Old - Dead, followed by a short epilogue. In this universal story about man's journey through life, the role of The Traveller is played by the solo violin, the companions by the choir and the poet by the solo tenor. The Traveller was jointly commissioned by the Salisbury, Chelsea and Lichfield Festivals, with funding from the Arts Council of England and the PRS Foundation. It was performed for the first time by Mark Padmore (tenor), Philippe Honoré (violin) and the Britten Sinfonia, conducted by the composer, together with the Salisbury Festival Chorus and the Salisbury Area Young Musicians Junior Choir at Salisbury Cathedral on May 31, 2008. This edition (EP73536a) is the piano reduction. The score (EP73536) is also available for purchase and the orchestral material is available on loan.