An Introduction to Voice and Verse 2009

23 – 25 April 2009

Voice and Verse
Festival
Celebrating Tennyson and introducing some “things with wings”

The relationship between words and music is the essence of Voice and Verse, which for the second Festival takes the bicentenary of the birth of Alfred Tennyson as its central theme.

Despite the popularity of his works, very few of Tennyson’s poems are set to music with any great distinction. The settings by Arthur Somervell of the poems from Maud are worthy of performance, and the spirit of those poems can be discovered at Harrington Hall and in the surrounding countryside. The Festival is also a wonderful opportunity to perform the unique phenomenon that is Enoch Arden!

A second theme could be called “Things with Wings” Our visiting composer this year is Judith Weir whose music has achieved widespread popularity with both listeners and critics. Her style is ideally suited to the setting of poetry, and her songs demonstrate a distinctive and individual voice. The featured work “The Voice of Desire” is a “conversation between birds and humans” written in 2003 for the distinguished artists, Alice Coote and Julius Drake who perform it here.

Most of the events take place in East Lindsey in the vicinity of Tennyson’s early life, as well as in Lincoln.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Convivium Music Board of Directors

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