Episodes
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The extracts from Brittenâs letters and other writings are read by Dr Nicholas Clark, Librarian at Britten Pears Arts. The extracts from Curlew River are from the 1966 Decca recording directed by Britten and Viola Tunnard (with grateful thanks to Decca and Faber Music). The extracts from the English language performance of Sumida River were kindly provided by Dr Kevin Salfen from the University of the Incarnate Word, Texas. It was written by Richard Emmert, based on the play Sumidigawa by Kanze Motomasa. Shite (Madwoman) â Ćshima Kinue; Waki (Boatman) â Richard Emmert; Tsure (Traveller) â Matthew Dubroff; Kokata (Spirit of the Boy) â Miriam Dubroff; Otsuzumi â Ćkura EitarĆ; Kotsuzumi â James Ferner; Nohkan â Kevin Salfen; Chorus Leader â Joyce Lim; Chorus â Members of Theatre Nohgaku and students at the University of the Incarnate Word.
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The musical tracks in this podcast are all from A Ceremony of Carols. The recording is performed by the National Youth Girls Choir, with Vicky Lester on harp, conducted by Esther Jones. With grateful thanks to Delphian Records for allowing us to use extracts from this recording.
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Episodes manquant?
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Lucy is joined by two of this year's composers - Roderick Williams and Kerry Andrew - and by Sophia Allen, our Head of Community. Tune in to find out how the Friday Afternoons songs - past and present - have reached thousands of schoolchildren, and inspired creative artists of all kind.
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In this monthâs podcast we celebrate the fascinating subject of song and singing. We start with Benjamin Britten, and his lifelong attachment to song â inspired to explore it in multiple ways by his partner Peter Pearsâ voice, by poetry, and by the occasion he was composing for. Following his example, Britten Pears Arts has song at the very centre of its work. Lucy is joined by Dr Chris Hilton (Head of Archive and Library) and Caro Barnfield (Head of Music Programme) who discuss how song manifests in the continuing work of the organisation, from teasing out stories in the archive collections, to featuring strongly in the Britten Pears Young Artist Programme, to performances on the stage, and to serving the wider community. Lucy speaks to two further guests who have directly benefited from the remarkable song legacy of Britten Pears Arts, composer Arthur Keegan and mezzo-soprano Lotte Betts Dean. They are working together on a project based around the poetry of Thomas Hardy, a writer whose words have been passed from composer to composer over the last 100 years, continuing to find their way into song. The music extracts are performed by Lotte Betts Dean, James Girling and the Ligeti Quartet.
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In 2023 we mark the 400th anniversary of the deaths of two composers who wrote beautiful music, and who lived in extraordinary times. William Byrd (c.1540-1623) lived through a remarkably turbulent period of history, under no fewer than six monarchs. He wrote a huge amount of exquisite choral works, including Catholic masses which â depending who was on the throne â would only have been performed under conditions of secrecy. Thomas Weelkes (1576-1623) was an organist and composer, best-known for his brilliant and vivid madrigals (as well as for his somewhat chaotic lifestyle).
Music
Opening and ending: âKyrieâ and âAgnus Deiâ from Byrdâs Mass for Four Voices. Performed by the Marian Consort, conducted by Rory McCleery from the album Singing in Secret (Delphian, 2020).
During the podcast: Byrdâs âAve verum corpusâ. Performed by the Choir of Merton College, Oxford conducted by Peter Philips from the album Viri Galilaei: Favourite Anthems from Merton (Delphian, 2016).
With grateful thanks to Delphian for giving us permission to use these recordings.
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Tune in to the final podcast of Season 3 (recorded in June 2021) to hear about Alma Mahler's work, the potent combination of opera, film and fashion house (a link to the film Elise discusses can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhgwmZQVgJE), and the power of song to connect people in isolation. Plus, some beautiful tracks for the podcast playlist.
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Tune in to hear more about Hannah's work, how she has been inspired by Britten's music, how the life and work of both Britten and Pears can still be sensed at The Red House, and what a Creative Retreat in the grounds of their former home has meant to her. Plus, further additions to the podcast playlist - four brilliant tracks that are all about couples.
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Tune in to find out how Alternative Classical engages with new listeners, how to explore an exciting range of classical music performances, and how to play Concert Roulette! Plus, as usual there are some excellent additions to the podcast playlist.
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Tune in for a remarkable conversation about the environment, music, Britten's home town of Lowestoft, the fascinating and valuable relationships between musicians and environmental causes, and how music of all kinds can deeply affect the emotions.
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Tune in for a fascinating conversation about the background, creation, and ethos of the multi-media music piece BEAM: Everybody Can Stand in their Own Light. The remarkable creative team behind this work (Nadine Benjamin, lead artists/co-dramaturg, Darren Abrahams, co-dramaturg and trauma specialist, and Claire Shovelton, senior producer and photographer) have a background not only in music but in psychology, the treatment of trauma, and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). The podcast explores the powerful effect of music in myriad ways, including the treatment of trauma. The team also discuss their aspirations regarding new ways of collaborative working.
Plus, some contributions to our podcast playlist, plus two excerpts from BEAM - 'E strano' from Verdi's La Traviata (recording from Nadine's 'Love and Prayer' album), and 'Champagne Queen'.
Lyrics and Melody written by Nadine Benjamin and Music written by Nadine Benjamin and IZIT-U
Guitar - Dan Bell
Bass - Oli Lee
Drums - Aidan Torode
Keys - Jake Bowser
BEAM was supported by a Britten Pears Arts residency.
Photo: Claire Shovelton -
Tansy Davies' new piece for string orchestra and percussion, 'Monolith: I Extend My Arms' will be premiered at Snape Maltings on 26 June 2021 (a Britten Pears Arts commission). Tune in for a conversation about this piece, and about other fascinating compositions - including Tansy's operas 'Between Worlds' and 'Cave', and the horn piece 'Yoik'.
Plus, some brilliant additions to our Podcast Playlist, and some further choices from Tansy: Frank Denyer, 'The Fish That Became The Sun' https://anothertimbre.bandcamp.com/album/the-fish-that-became-the-sun; and her own 'The rule is love' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOhPSzg4XyM&list=RDIOhPSzg4XyM&start_radio=1.
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Soprano Samantha Crawford and pianist Lana Bode have been collaborating on a remarkable project: dream.risk.sing. Their forthcoming recital and CD (with Delphian Records) focusses on women's voices. It is a programme of music mainly by female composers, and of texts by women (the proejct is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England). The CD will include a newly-commissioned set of songs by Charlotte Bray, setting texts by Nicki Jackowska, and the project as a whole aims to tell stories from all aspects of women's lives, from motherhood to the workplace to the legacies passed down the generations. Tune in to hear more about this exciting new project, the inspiration behind it, and the huge potential to explore further women's stories in song. Plus, as usual, some terrific songs for our Podcast playlist.
Photo credit (Samantha Crawford): Rahil Ahmad
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Tune in for a fascinating conversation between Lucy and Joe (who are both alumni of Edinburgh University!) about the rich and varied European choral tradition. The Chapel Royal at St James's Palace has an extraordinary history, intertwining the musical interests of English monarchs with the great musicians of the previous centuries, including Byrd, Tallis and Purcell. Joe is also researching the remarkable African-Portuguese composer of choral works Vicente Lusitano, born in the 1520s. Plus, the joys (and perils) of keyboard skills, improvising in an ensemble, the influence of Purcell on Benjamin Britten, and as usual the listening choices of both our contributors.
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As we celebrate a year of Britten Pears Arts, we welcome a new Trustee! Jamie Njoku-Goodwin has had a remarkable career, from a music degree at Nottingham University, to a move into the political sphere, and his recent appointment as Chief Executive of UK Music. Tune in to hear a fascinating conversation about the emotional impact of music, how performing and hearing music can have a huge effect on our health and wellbeing, the devestating consequences of the pandemic on the music industry, and how we've all hugely missed live performance. Plus, some great tracks for our podcast playlist.
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In this podcast during Women's History Month, Lucy and Anna have a fascinating conversation about a wide range of histories, and how historical stories are told. Tune in to hear about celebrities of the nineteenth century, the heroic figure of the British tenor (and how Italian tenors became the villains of romantic novels!), portraits and death masks of musicians, composer Ethel Smyth and her purple outfits, and the cliche of the 'tragic' female performer. Plus, the usual wide range of music our speakers have been listening to.
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Tune in for a wide-ranging conversation with Reverend Coles about his extraordinary life and variety of careers, his lifelong love of music of all kinds from Motown to Benjamin Britten, the experience of being an 'accidental popstar', life as a gay man and political activist in the 1980s, how Christian faith can manifest in music and in physical spaces, the great 'community' of both activism and the Church, and the life-changing effects of the recent lockdown. Plus, what our contributors (and dogs) have been listening to lately.
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Tune in for the final episode before Christmas for a conversation about Anna's remarkable career, the rise of female conductors and organists, and the joy of transcribing orchestral works for organ. Plus, some further additions to our podcast playlist, including some festive treats.
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Tune in to hear a conversation about songs on the concert stage and in the home, the relationships that inspire composers to write them, and fascinating insights into the ever-changing conventions of song performance. Plus, some further contributions to our podcast playlist.
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Together they reflect on Brittenâs place in the world on his 107th birthday, talk about what Britten Pears Arts has been doing this very unusual year, and to explore a fascinating collection of birthday-related items from the Red House collection. Plus, as usual, some further contributions to our Spotify playlist.
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In this extraordinary year, her arrangement of Jerusalem was premiered at the Last Night of the Proms; she has been nominated for an RPS award in the Large-Scale Composition category for her piece This Frame is Part of the Painting; and her new EP Peace on Earth is released on 13 November. Tune in for a conversation about approaches to composition, the central role of collaboration, racial politics and classical music, and what music makes Errollyn dance. Plus, further contributions to our Podcast Playlist, including Errollynâs piece Are you Worried about the Rising Cost of Funerals. Also discussed was the Radio 3 programme Errollyn presented in 2019 on composer John Powell: A Racist Music.
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