City of London Sinfonia

At the heart of this premiere is Mary Jean Chan’s celebrated collection Bright Fear, with its urgency, intimacy, and themes that speak to our shared humanity. Chan’s exploration of identity, belonging, and language resonates deeply with CLS’s purpose: to tell stories that matter and create connections through music.

British-Hong Kong composer Nicola T. Chang responds to Chan’s work with a new composition for CLS musicians and traditional Chinese instrumentalists. This intercultural dialogue reflects the orchestra’s spirit of curiosity and co-creation, blurring boundaries between words and music. In The Collections: Bright Fear, audiences won’t just hear poetry spoken; they will feel it transformed into soundscapes that are adventurous, tender, and profoundly human.

The Collections: Bright Fear continues the partnership between CLS and Faber, pairing poetry with commissioned music.

Join us at Kings Place for the premiere of The Collections: Bright Fear and experience this bold and innovative performance. Be part of CLS’s journey to reimagine what an orchestra can be: a space where music, literature, and lived experience come together to inspire wonder, connection and joy.

What audiences can expect

The Collections: Bright Fear at King’s Place is not just a concert; it is an experience designed to move people beyond the traditional boundaries of orchestral music. Audiences will be invited into an unfolding story where poetry and music create a shared emotional journey.

Inspired by Mary Jean Chan’s intimate and questioning verses, audiences can expect to feel the tension between vulnerability and strength, between silence and sound. Nicola T. Chang’s new score amplifies those sensations, weaving in Chinese instruments to create textures that feel both familiar and startlingly new. King’s Place becomes a space for this dialogue, drawing listeners closer to the performers and immersing them in the interplay of words and music.

CLS creates concerts that people feel, not just hear. The orchestra’s relaxed, open style of presentation removes barriers, creating a place of warmth, curiosity, and connection. Audiences can expect to leave not only having discovered new music but also having experienced a moment of reflection; on identity, belonging, and the universal human need to be seen and h