Celebrating English Song at Tardebigge

Jennie McGregor-Smith has sent me details of her 2016 series of song recitals at Tardebigge, near Bromsgrove:
26 June            Benjamin Appl (baritone) and Simon Lepper (piano)
Ben Appl is becoming very popular, quite rightly, and no doubt some of you heard his Proms debut.    His programme not only includes Haydn, Finzi and Barber but also a group of songs by Gurney, interleaved with songs by Ian Venables, which relate to wartime, settings of poems by Gurney's friend Harvey and Gurney himself.  Seasons at Tardebigge don't seem quite right without Simon Lepper at the piano, and we are delighted to welcome him back for the eighth time.
 
17 July             Kitty Whately (mezzo), Louise Williams (viola) and Iain Burnside (piano)
Iain Burnside's fifth visit brings an opportunity to hear Frank Bridge's works for voice and viola and Ian Venables' Acton Burnell, much appreciated by The Gramophone's reviewer.  Iain has planned a group of Finzi songs, and a good looking second half devoted to Shakespeare settings, including Joseph Horovitz's dramatic Lady Macbeth - A Scena, and Korngold's music for Desdemona's willow song.
 
Those who heard Dr Alan Watson at Three Choirs last year will know that his special interest at Cardiff University is in the nature and treatment of performance related injury in singers - so his talk on The Science of the Singing Voice should be fascinating.
 
28 August        Roderick Williams (baritone) and Susie Allan (piano)
Also old friends, Roddy and Susie have chosen a programme which is full of musical favourites, starting the concert with Butterworth's Six songs from A Shropshire Lad and ending with Finzi's Shakespeare group Let us Garlands Bring.  Vaughan Williams' Silent Noon will be a highlight for me, and an opportunity to revel in Gurney's Captain Stratton's Fancy and hear Ian Venables' The Kiss and Flying Crooked.

More details on the website: www.celebratingenglishsong.co.uk