Recent concerts (1)

At last the brothers have got back together on stage. 18 months after our last forray, we went to Ely Cathedral in April to perform 22 ditties and repeated the programme at the Round Church (where the sostenuto pedal squeaked so much that WD40 was sprayed on it after the first few items had amused rather than pleased the pianist and audience). It was a two-part affair with a mini piano recital balancing the composers of the singing bit. The Ravel Menuet was my favourite solo work [it’s a truly graceful delight] and I thought that Luke’s singing of the Dichterliebe was superb! We made up the Venables in Ely but had polished it well for Cambridge and when Luke did the same programme in his final recital at the RCM the following week it all came out very well. Hurrah.

“Masters of the Human Voice in Miniature”

Robert Schumann, Kinderscenen, Op.15
1. Von fremden Ländern und Menchen 2. Curiose Geschichte
5. Glükes genug 6. Wichtige Begenheit
7. Träumerei 9. Ritter von Steckenpferd
13. Der Dichter spricht

Maurice Ravel, Menuet sur le nom de Haydn

Herbert Howells, Howells’ Clavicord
12. Finzi’s Rest

*

Robert Schumann, Dichterliebe, Op.48
1. Im wunderschönen Monat Mai 2. Aus meinen Tränen spriessen
3. Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube 4. Wenn ich in deine Augen seh
5. Ich will meine Seele tauchen 6. Im Rhein, im heiligen Strome
7. Ich grolle nicht

Maurice Ravel, Don Quichotte a Dulcinée
1. Chanson romanesque
2. Chanson épique
3. Chanson à boire

Ian Venables, Easter Song, Op.16

Gerald Finzi, Earth and Air and Rain, Op.15
7. Lizbie Brown
8. The Clock of the Years