⭐ Pierrepoint: In the Balance draws you into a charged night of music and conscience. A world premiere meets Fauré’s Requiem at LSO St Luke’s.
Highlights
🎼 Experience a world-premiere oratorio paired with Fauré’s radiant Requiem
🎤 Hear the National Symphony Orchestra, Locrian Singers and acclaimed soloists
⚖ Enter Ruth Ellis’ final night through Paul Honey’s dramatic score
🕯 Enter Ruth Ellis’ final night through Paul Honey’s dramatic score
🗣 Discover the story behind the music in our pre-concert talk
General Info
📅 Date: Sunday, December 13, 2026
🕒 Time: 6.30 p.m.
⏱ Approximate Duration: 2 hours
📍 Location: LSO St Luke's, 161 Old Street, London
🎵 Genre: classical
❗ Important: seats are allocated by the box office, with every effort made to seat parties together
📝 Please note: on arrival, give your name at the box office to collect your tickets and seat numbers
Program or Repertoire
Pre-concert talk | 6.30-7.15 pm
Chaired by David Olusoga, with Laura Enston, Ruth Ellis’ granddaughter, speaker, advocate and campaigner; Kerry Moscogiuri, CEO of Amnesty International; composer Paul Honey; and librettist Gregory Warren Wilson. The panel explores the story behind Pierrepoint: In the Balance and the historical and ethical questions surrounding the execution of Ruth Ellis.
Concert | 7.30 pm
Paul Honey, Pierrepoint: In the Balance (world premiere), libretto by Gregory Warren Wilson
Interval
Gabriel Fauré, Requiem
Performers: National Symphony Orchestra, Jonathan Darbourne, Locrian Singers, Johnny Herford, Will Prior, Myrna Tennant and Edward Woodhouse
Description
Join us at 6.30 pm for a special pre-concert discussion chaired by acclaimed historian and broadcaster David Olusoga, featuring Laura Enston, Ruth Ellis’ granddaughter; Kerry Moscogiuri, CEO of Amnesty International; composer Paul Honey; and librettist Gregory Warren Wilson. Together, they explore the story behind Pierrepoint: In the Balance and the historical and ethical questions surrounding Ruth Ellis’ execution.
The concert begins at 7.30 pm inside LSO St Luke’s. Paul Honey’s stirring new oratorio follows Albert Pierrepoint through the tense, claustrophobic night in 1955 before the execution of Ruth Ellis, with Gregory Warren Wilson’s libretto exploring the psychological and moral weight of his preparations.
After the interval, Fauré’s Requiem creates a profound emotional shift, moving from judgment and moral reckoning towards a luminous, consoling calm.
Experience this powerful evening of music, history and reflection, including the world premiere of Pierrepoint: In the Balance by Paul Honey.
