Oxford Lieder James Bowman Britten Remembered

Always something challenging at the Oxford Lieder Festival! James Bowman  appeared at the Holywell Music Room with Andrew West. It was a special experience, far more than an ordinary recital. Bowman was the greatest countertenor of his generation and has been semi-retired for some time, but he's an Oxford man born and bred. The city really should honour one of its finest sons.

More than any modern composer, Benjamin Britten revived the countertenor voice, writing new material that made the most of its unique potential. Bowman was still a student when he met Britten in 1967, so his presence as part of Oxford Lieder's Britten Remembered weekend was an opportunity to hear his personal memories. Bowman was singing with Pears and Britten decided to conduct. Mischief! But Britten was most amused. "When Ben smiled", said Bowman, "The sun came out".

So Bowman sang Britten's arrangement of Purcell's Sweeter than roses and two songs from A Charm of Lullabies (A Cradle Song and The Nurse's Song). Another Oxford Lieder exclusive! Bowman got special permission from the Britten Pears Foundation to transcribe the Earl of Essex's second Lute Song from Gloriana. The Earl of Essex has no taste in music but he wants to suck up to the Queen, who is, as Bowman said gravely, "not amused". So what does Essex sing? even more doggerel. Bowman's countertenor brought out the wicked satire in the song to delicious effect.

Bowman crowned his recital with "I Know a Bank" from A Midsummer's Night's Dream because Oberon was one of his signature Britten roles, along with The Voice of Apollo.  But more rarities. Bowman sang Night from This Way to the Tomb,  a "Masque and Anti-Masque" by Ronald Duncan, who wrote the libretto for The Rape of Lucretia first performed the following year. Note the irreverent title.

During Britten's final illness, he and Bowman were looking out of the window at Snape onto the reedbeds, with the tower of Iken Church in the distance, "I'd like to be buried there" said Britten quietly. "What, not in Westminster Abbey"? joked Bowman. "I don't want to be buried anywhere near Hubert Parry", Britten snorted.

As Bowman said, Britten couldn't abide most British composers, and had an ambivalent attitude to Vaughan Williams, but admired Peter Warlock. The two men could hardly have been more different. "Warlock was a practising Druid and Britten was a teetotal....whatever" What they had in common was a feel for strangeness. Staunch Catholic Hillaire Belloc might have had Sussex (vaguely) in mind when he wrote My Own Country but Warlock's setting evokes mystery. Bowman's singing touched me greatly. I watched how he carefully moderated the tricky bits and created emotion through his phrasing and expressions.  At the age of nearly 72, his voice isn't what it was but his experience remians intact. That is the mark of a true artist.

"I met Ralph Vaughan Williams when I was a chorister", Bowman told us. "We were taken to see this huge pile of Harris tweed with a mop of white hair on top. It moved, and I shook his hand". Exactly how a small boy would perceive a grand eminence. Bowman sang RVW's The Call and From far, from eve and morning and then returned to Britten. He sang If thou wilt ease thine heart, a setting, of a poem by Thomas Lovell Beddoes.  Britten rarely set early 19th century English poets but Beddoes was an outsider who ended up a suicide. Tenors have recorded it : countertenors like Bowman bring out its surreal side. To ease us into the night, Bowman sang more Britten folksong settings, The Trees they grow so high and Down by the Salley Gardens, 

Oxford Lieder, with its focus on the art of performance, showcases young singers and pianists  every year with "Fifteen minutes of fame". This year, tenor Nick Pritchard and pianist Ian Tindale. They sang three Britten Soutar songs and two folksongs including I wonder as I wander, whose corny humour must have appealed to  Britten's boylike sense of humour. Pritchard and Tindale also did Um Mitternacht, one of Britten's few Goethe settings, which showed their fluency in German, but were even more impressive in Salley in our Alley, which gave Pritchard a chance to exercise his comic gifts.

Lots more coming up this week at the Oxford Lieder Festival

Oxford Lieder Festival "Frozen Landscapes" and Benjamin Britten

Alas, I've had to misss so much of this year's Oxford Lieder Festival but next week's recitals are so good that they will be worth the wait. Friday's concerts revolve on the theme "Frozen Landscapes and Winter Journeys"  There's a special excursion at the Pitt Rivers Myuseum, perhaps the quirkiest museum in the country, with shrunken heads, "native" artifacts, Inuit tools and models of ships. Currently there's a special exhibition about the Andrée expedition. In 1897, Swedish explorer Solomon Andrée tried to fly to the North Pole in a balloon. Thirty years later, his photographs and diaries were discovered in the remains of his final camp in the frozen wastes. Like Amundsen and Scott in the Antarctic, it's a story of courage against the adversities of nature. Absolutely the stuff of Lieder!

Mark Stone and Sholto Kynoch are doing Ralph Vaughan Williams' Songs of Travel in a rush-hour concert (5.45) followed by Winterreise - of course - with Robert Murray. This will be Winterreise with a difference - there'll be readings from the diaries of Scott of the Antarctic and a pre-concert talk by Peter Clarkson of the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge.

In the late night concert, Mark Stone and Sholto Kynoch return for Dominick Argento's settings of words from Andrée's diaries. Above, one of the "lost" photos showing a photo of the site where Andrée's balloon crashed. It's amazing that the photos and diaries survived.

The second Oxford Lieder Festival weekend is themed around Benjamin Britten. James Bowman will be giving  a masterclass on Saturday afternoon, and is singing the keynote concert on Sunday 20th.  Britten was one of the first modern composers to appreciate the counter tenor voice. This is an aspect of Britten's work that';s rarely given the recognition it deserve : Bowman is in an ideal position since he knew Britten and sang the first Voice of Apollo in Death in Venice. This will be unique, from a historic and scholarly point of view. Lots more very unusual Britten this weekend, including Britten's work for two pianos, the Colin McPhee arrangements of Balinese gamelan. There'll also be a mid-week screening of Tony Palmer's Nocturne,  a new film on Benjamin Britten (reviewed here).

Wolfgang Holzmair has been a patron of Oxford Lieder for many years. He's much loved and appreciated in return. Holzmair is unusually erudite, even for a Lieder specialist. As a young man he said he could never sing Lieder with a non-native-speaking pianist. Then he met Imogen Cooper, and a legendary team was born. Cooper's Schubert is exceptional: she understands the spirit and the words as if by instinct. Moreover, they're doing Schubert's Mayrhofer settings, some of which are so beautiful that they make Mayrhofer sound (almost) as wonderful as Goethe.

Toby Spence, Kate Royal and Christoph Prégardien are giving important recitals. I'll be at Prégardien, for sure! But fundamental to the Oxford Lieder ethos is the idea of practical perfomance. Singing is an interactive experience.. Hence the numerous masterclasses and opportunities to sing and develop. Oxford Lieder has helped launch many careers, and enhanced appreciation of the art of song.  Fifteen years ago, Lieder had a relatively low profile in this country, except for top level, high profile events in the Wigmore Hall. Oxford Lieder changed things, dramatically. Young British and European singers and pianists now have greater opportunities to learn and to share. Audiences, too, have grown to cherish Lieder and art song as a genre with unique delights and values. I am honoured and privileged to have supported Oxford Lieder almost from the start.

For more information see the Oxford Lieder site

Truly Unique - Oxford Lieder Festival 2013

September - the season of mellow fruitfulness.  Make plans now (if you haven't alreaduy) for the Oxford Lieder Festival in Octiober, now in its twelfth year. Ripening and fruitfulness, for sure. Oxford Lieder is much more than a series of concerts. It focuses not just on art song but the joys of performance. Big name stars work with young singers.  Oxford Lieder is where the real talent goes: many on the circuit now started their careers via Oxford Lieder. From small local beginnings, Oxford Lieder is now firmly established as a festival of national significance.

This year's two major themes are Goethe and Britten. There's a special Goethe Study Day on 12/10 devoted to Goethe's influence on song. Five concerts, culminating in the keynote recital on 14/10. Christine Rice, Louise Alder, Roderick Williams and Adrian Thompson sing  settings of Goethe by Wolf, Schubert, Loewe and Zelter (Goethe's personal friend).

The 4 day Britten "weekend" ( 19-23/10) is unique even in this busy centenary year. Britten's role in the renaissance of countertenor singing is greatly overlooked. Britten wrote so well for the voice type that it's now part of the mainstream, no longer confined to the church. Indeed, the modern renaissance in idiomatic baroque music owes much to the fact that there are more opportunities for countertenors today than in the past. Britten's influence goes beyond Britain. Oxford Lieder scores a major coup. James Bowman, who knew and worked with Britten. will be giving a masterclass and recital. It's almost a historic occasion. Because Oxford Lieder is a song festival, Britten songs will be performed in the ideal setting of the Holywell Music Room. This will be an opportunity to hear more adventurous Britten: leave the commonplace to other venues. Joan Rodgers and the Phoenix Piano Trio combine Britten (The Poet's Echo) with Schumann and Shostakovich. Toby Spence sings Britten's Holy Sonnets of John Donne and songs by Purcell, Beethoven and Brahms on the 23rd. A wonderful chance to hear Toby up close and personal!

Lots of megastar events. Wolfgang Holzmair and Imogen Cooper do an extremely important concert on 22/10. Holzmair, Cooper and Schubert : the stuff of legend. They're performing settings of the troubled poet Johann Mayrhofer. I booked for this at the first opportunity, it's a "must". Other big names include Willard White and Christoph Prégardien.   There's a lot more to Oxford Lieder than stars, though. Please read what I've written about the other treasures (VERY adventurous) in this year's Oxford Lieder Festival HERE. And BOOK NOW !

Oxford Lieder Festival 2013

The 2013 Oxford Lieder Festival starts in October, but make your bookings now - some things sell out fast. Each year, the Festival grows and this year's no exception.

John Mark Ainsley and Brigid Steinberger (with Julius Drake) open this year's series of recitals in the Holywell Music Room on 11/10 with a concert built round Schumann's complete Myrthen. The first Festival weekend focuses on Goethe. A Goethe Study Day at the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building examines Goethe's poetry and Schubert's interpretations. Two concerts, two talks/discussions. On Monday, Christine Rice, Roderick Willaims, Adrian Thompson, Louise Alder and Sholto Kynoch sing Goethe settings by Wolf, Schubert, Zelter and Loewe. "Lesser-known gems" the programme promises. That's why Oxford Lieder is so impoortant. There's always something stimulating.Sir Willard White sings Brahms Vier ernste Lieder at St John the Evangelist on Tuesday 13th. Go early for the pre concert talk by Natasha Loges who is always interesting.

 Roderick Willliams pairs Schumann Dichterliebe with a world premiere : Robert Saxton's Time and the Seasons. Oxford Lieder actively champions new work, and this is its most substantial commission.

"Frozen Landscapes and Winter Journeys" on Friday 18th should prove fascinating. In 1897, Swedish explorer Solomon Andrée tried to fly to the North Pole in a balloon. Thirty years later, his photographs and diaries were discovered in the remains of his final camp in the frozen wastes. Like Amundsen and Scott in the Antarctic, it's a story of courage against the adversities of nature. American composer Dominick Argento set words from Andrée's diaries to music. Mark Stone and Sholto Kynoch will perform the piece in an atmospheric late night concert in the New College Ante Chapel. This is one of the "lost" photos showing a photo of the site where Andrée's balloon crashed. All the men were doomed. It's amazing that the photos and diaries survived. Oxford Lieder has organized an afternoon at The Pitt Rivers Museum so we can learn more about the expedition and the region in which it took place..

The second Oxford Lieder Festival weekend is themed around Benjamin Britten. James Bowman will be giving  a masterclass on Saturday afternoon, and is singing the keynote concert on Sunday 20th.  Britten was one of the first modern composers to appreciate the counter tenor voice. This is an aspect of Britten's work that';s rarely given the recognition it deserves : Bowman is in an ideal position since he knew Britten and sang the first Voice of Apollo in Death in Venice. This will be unique, from a historic and scholarly point of view. Lots more very unusual Britten this weekend, including Britten's work for two pianos, the Colin McPhee arrangements of Balinese gamelan. There'll also be a mid week screening of Tony Palmer's Nocturne,  a new film on Benjamin Britten (reviewed here).

Wolfgang Holzmair has been a patron of Oxford Lieder for many years. He's much loved and appreciated in return. Holzmair is unusually erudite, even for a Lieder specialist. As a young man he said he could never sing Lieder with a non-native-speaking pianist. Then he met Imogen Cooper, and a legendary team was born. Cooper's Schubert is exceptional : she understands the spirit and the words as if by instinct. Moreover, they're doing Schubert's Mayrhofer settings, some of which are so beautiful that they make Mayrhofer sound (almost) as wonderful as Goethe.

Toby Spence, Kate Royal and Christoph Prégardien are giving important recitals. I'll be at Prégardien, for sure! But fundamental to the Oxford Lieder ethos is the idea of practical perfomance. Singing is an interactive experience.. Hence the numerous masterclasses and opportunities to sing and develop. Oxford Lieder has helped launch many careers, and enhanced appreciation of the art of song.  Fifteen years ago, Lieder had a relatively low profile in this country, except for top level, high profile events in the Wigmore Hall. Oxford Lieder changed things, dramatically. Young British and European singers and pianists now have greater opportunities to learn and to share. Audiences, too, have grown to cherish Lieder and art song as a genre with unique delights and values. I am honoured and privileged to have supported Oxford Lieder almost from the start.

For more information see the Oxford Lieder site
photo of Holytwell Music Room : By Ny Björn