Nottingham-born Judith Bingham studied composition and singing at the Royal Academy, winning the BBC Young Composer Award in 1977. She was a member of the BBC Singers for thirteen years, and her composition took off in the late 1980s.
Today’s work was composed for Thomas Trotter’s 500th lunchtime recital in Birmingham in 2003. The inspiration are the three paintings of the Virgin Mary’s early life by Giotto in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua (a short walk south from the railway station).
Set in three movements, the first is of the birth of the Virgin Mary, as a quiet prelude including arpeggios and a rising motif, moving into her betrothal, set as a bluesy, playful aria.
The final movement depicting the Annunciation captures the excitement and terror of the Angel Gabriel’s arrival (portrayed by a loud trumpet) to tell Mary she will be the mother of Jesus.
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