April News
We had three wonderful recitals in store for our audiences in April.
Sight and Sound: A Journey Through Song and Visual Art
The first, Sight and Sound: A Journey Through Song and Visual Art was delivered in style by Dan D’Souza and Dylan Perez in Fawley. Dan and Dylan’s recital took our delightful audience through the links between art and song featuring Lieder and Mélodie. They analysed artworks by Monet and William Bouguereau alongside musical selections from Winterreise, Beethoven’s An die ferne Geliebte, and Saint-Saëns’s spooky Danse Macabre. It was a feast for the eyes and ears!
Bridget Esler gave us another performance of her wonderful lecture recital Demystifying the Mad Scene: Sopranos on the Edge, this time in Chelsea. Bridget is a fabulous singer, and she performed her arias depicting operatic (and musical theatre!) heroines’ emotional fireworks with aplomb.
Finally, Michael Temporal Darrell, baritone, and Brendan Musk, pianist, visited us in Henley to perform a recital entitled From Verdi to Verismo: Operatic Transitions. They delivered delights from La bohéme and Pagliacci, and helped our audience gain a better understanding of just how opera evolved between some of our favourite composers! The Henley Standard gave Michael a wonderful writeup, describing his singing as “lovely”, and Brendan’s playing as given “with real feeling”. It was certainly a treat to see them in action!
Young Artist News
Did you see the other amazing things our Young Artists were up to in April? Dan D’Souza, baritone, appeared with Britten Sinfonia at Snape Maltings in their performance of Haydn’s Creation. Pictures from the evening looked incredible, with the hall completely packed. Dan was joined by a brilliant team of other soloists and two of Britain’s oldest choral societies, Ipswich Choral Society and Halifax Choral Society. Michael Temporal-Darrell also appeared in a Creation, in the role of Adam with Scherzo Ensemble and Orpheus Sinfonia at St John’s Smith Square. This production combined music with dance, costume and lighting to put a fresh spin on this timeless masterpiece.
Catherine Hooper, soprano, took part in a Stanislavski workshop with the London Singers Collective. Catherine described the workshop as “rewarding” and a fantastic opportunity to learn, helping her connect with the characters and stories she connects to through performance. Photos from the workshop show Catherine in action – it looked like a wonderful chance for singers to develop their craft.
Magnus Walker, tenor, appeared in New Sussex Opera’s production of Lampe’s The Dragon of Wantley, in the role of Moore of Moore Hall. This 18th century work was a parody of Handel’s more serious work, and also satirised the government of the time. Magnus’s performance was described as one of “quiet heroic focus” by Classic Source, and the production received a 4-star review in The Stage.
