Stewart Copeland to perform concerto in Liverpool

Former Police drummer Stewart Copeland will unveil his latest percussion concerto on May 23 at Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall.

Poltroons in Paradise was commissioned by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic who will perform the piece that was composed for timpani, three percussionists and a full symphony orchestra.

Copeland said of the piece "Poltroons in Paradise is the beginning of a story, the cheerful part, about those who ride in on the back of a revolution and then discover the temptations of those things against which they had revolted.

"I'm imagining a cadre of starving, hitherto excluded intellectuals swaggering through the palace of the fallen regime.

"The chandeliers, the brocades and the gilded furniture all inspire a grand buffoonery that hides a sneaking desire.

"Many composers would regard the mission of writing a percussion concerto as an opportunity to celebrate banging and clattering. A worthy cause no doubt, but there can be great beauty in things that are hit with a stick."

Along with his work with Curved Air and the Police, Copeland has been involved with composing for TV, film and the concert hall including King Lear (1986), Casque of Amontillado (1994) and Indeepandance (2008).

The concert will be the last for the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall before it undergoes renovations. It will reopen in November.

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