Lim Fantasy of Companionship explores the emotional life of artificial beings in a new chamber arrangement at St Giles Cripplegate – Thursday 19 Jun, 7.30pm | St Giles Cripplegate, London
Artificial intelligence and human emotion take centre stage on Thursday 19 June, as the Lim Fantasy of Companionship by composer Manu Martin and songwriters Dr Susan Lim and Christina Teenz Tan premieres in a new arrangement at St Giles Cripplegate, part of the Summer Music in City Churches festival. Lim Fantasy of Companionship Suite is a chamber suite that explores the future of human-machine relationships. The piece evokes a world where synthetic beings may long for love, connection and purpose, and asks profound questions about identity and empathy. This bold and imaginative work will be premiered in a new arrangement for string quintet, flute and piano by acclaimed pianist Mark Bebbington and a distinguished ensemble from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
A previous arrangement for Piano, Flute and Strings Octet was performed at the same venue in 2024 and and subsequently recorded and released by Signum Classics (SIGCD858). This performance marks the debut of an intimate new arrangement, inviting audiences to experience it in a fresh light.
Composer Manu Martin said: “This chamber version of the ‘Lim Fantasy of Companionship Suite’ for piano, flute, and strings offers a more focused lens on the narrative of human connection with an AI-enabled entity. In the beautiful acoustics of St Giles, we explore the nuances of companionship, from the hopeful ‘Overture’ to the poignant ‘Ode to ALAN,’ inviting the audience to reflect on loneliness and the future of relationships in our technologically advancing world.”
Pianist Mark Bebbington said: “The intimacy of this new chamber arrangement lends a particular relevance and poignancy to Manu’s music and Susan’s storyline, as questions and connections of identity and empathy in today’s world are searchingly explored.”
This concert is presented as part of the Summer Music in City Churches festival, which celebrates outstanding music-making in historic City of London churches. Also on the concert programme is John Ireland’s Phantasy Trio; Poulenc’s elegant Flute Sonata; and Schubert’s beloved ‘Trout’ Quintet. The Lim Fantasy of Companionship represents the first installment in the ALAN trilogy, which also includes the Lim Cosmic Rhapsody – which received its sold-out world premiere at the Barbican in May 2025 and was Album of the Week on Classic FM. The third installment, Symphony of the Oceans, will be released in 2026.
Dr Susan Lim is the creator, storyteller, and songwriter of the ALAN Trilogy. Through her ambitious ALAN Trilogy, she orchestrates a powerful conversation about humanity’s future, exploring the intricate dance between societal challenges and the disruptive technologies that define our era.Dr. Lim brings a unique breadth of experience to her artistic vision. A Cambridge-trained immunologist with a 30-year career as a pioneering surgeon in transplantation and robotics, she seamlessly integrates the rigor of scientific inquiry with the boundless creativity of artistic expression. Inspiration strikes in diverse locales, from the snowy peaks of Courchevel and Deer Valley to the shores of the Mediterranean and rice fields of Bali, reflecting the global nature of the challenges she addresses.
ALAN I introduced us to this unique vision with a seventeen-song pop album, ALAN’s Fantasy (Signum Records, 2022), the orchestral masterpiece Lim Fantasy of Companionship for Piano and Orchestra recorded with Tedd Joselson and the London Symphony Orchestra, London Voices at Abbey Road Studios (Signum Classics, 2021), and an award-winning animated film Fantasy of Companionship between Human and Inanimate which garnered numerous accolades, including Best Score at the British Short Film Awards 2021, and Best Family / Children Film at the Annual Cannes World Film Festival 2023.
The ALAN Trilogy is more than just entertainment; it’s an invitation. An invitation to ponder the future of humanity, to consider the ethical implications of bioengineering, and to explore the potential for collaboration between humans and AI. It’s a call to action, disguised as a symphony. Susan Lim’s ALAN Trilogy invites us to imagine – and empowers us to build – that new species, that new future, together.
Half-price tickets are available for students and under-30s. Book now at https://www.summermusiccitychurches.com/event-details/the-trout-quintet
Listen to Signum Classics’ recording here: lnk.to/LimFantasyChamber
