Thursday 1 December | 7:45pm

‘Barnes is a true Dickensian. He is a serious reader of the novels.  

It is a clear blunder of providence that he was born too late to appear in their pages!’

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David Copperfield by Charles Dickens was first published in serial form from May 1849 to November 1850. Inspired by the larger-than-life characters and the drama of Dickens’ immensely likeable story, ‘Copperfield’ is a new jazz suite created by inimitable performer and composer Alan Barnes.

The story is narrated by Barnes reading scenes from the original Dickens text, interspersed with music performed by eight virtuoso musicians who bring the characters and scenes to life. A cheery clarinet plays Copperfield, the lost orphan Little Em’ly is a lyrical tenor, Mr Dick flies his kite in the personage of a soaring flugelhorn and trombone, Mr Micawber expresses ‘something will turn up!’ on the piano and Uriah Heep writhes around on the bass clarinet. Just as we see David progress through the trials of his life, so the movements of this suite develop along with him. Music and readings to inspire the full range of Dickens’s imagination and emotion: from loneliness and remorse to love and irresistible joy.