An Introduction to Voice and Verse 2008

Convivium Music is delighted to present a new festival dedicated to the voice and singing. The emphasis of the festival is the marriage of John Milton’s “Blest Pair of Sirens”, Voice and Verse, celebrated in chorus by Hubert Parry, and the art of setting words to music.

Lincoln and Lincolnshire has a long tradition of singing, both sacred and secular with great folk and choral traditions. The solo song repertoire is perhaps less well represented, and is a principal feature in this first festival and brings to Lincoln some of Britain’s finest recitalists including the renowned tenor James Gilchrist and our artistic director Julius Drake who is in great demand internationally as a pianist in song recital. The artistic line-up is worthy of any festival in the world.

This year is the 50th anniversary of the death of one of England’s greatest composers, Ralph Vaughan Williams and this provided the starting point for programming the weekend. At the heart of the Festival is a new piece from the highly regarded English composer David Matthews. He has been commissioned by Convivium Music to write a companion piece to Vaughan Williams’ “On Wenlock Edge” a setting for tenor, piano and string quartet of words from A Shropshire Lad by A.E. Housman. The new work, “One Foot in Eden”, setting words by Edwin Muir will have its World Premiere in Lincoln performed by James Gilchrist, Julius Drake and the Emperor Quartet. We invite you to listen to the afternoon rehearsal and to meet the composer as a means of engaging more fully with the new work.

The subject matter of the poetry settings has suggested an overall theme of Land and Landscape this year, and we drew on many features of Lincolnshire itself, both musical and non-musical for the festival. The weekend explores Vaughan Williams’ life and other works, as well as other composers and poets. There are opportunities to take part in singing workshops and two study days on Landscape in poetry and painting, to meet the artists, and to absorb yourself in some of the most glorious music ever written for the voice.

We look forward to seeing you there…