Resplendent in a scarlet
gown and stole, Felicity Lott brought a flash
of glamour to the sedate setting of the 12th
century church in Ludlow this balmy
June evening. Glamour, too, was in her singing.
She brought panache not often associated with
English song. The programme demonstrated aspects
of the genre’s sophistication and stylishness.
Elgar’s Speak, Music
to text by A C Benson who wrote the words
for Land of Hope and Glory set the
pace, followed by the well loved Quilter classics,
Go, Lovely Rose, Now Sleeps the Crimson
Petal, and Love’s Philosophy. Lott’s
voice is in fine fettle : the lower reaches
particularly attractive. How sensuously she
sang the lines "Now folds the lily,
all her sweetness up, and slips into the bosom
of the lake". In Ireland’s When
I am dead, dearest, her clear diction
and clear eyed interpretation were refreshing.
Lott’s affinity for the music of Benjamin
Britten is well known. Her extensive experience
in French song, and its values of precision,
inform her approach – Britten, I imagine,
would have loved it. The cycle, On this
Island, was performed with flair, idiomatically
picking up on Britten’s word painting and
switches of rhythm. The poet is Auden. Subtly,
the programme is moving from Victorian Interestingly,
Frank Bridge’s setting of Tennyson’s Go
Not Happy day followed. Bridge was Britten’s
adored teacher. It was intriguing to hear
their work together in this context, and ponder
Britten’s own Tennyson settings. That Warlock’s
setting of Tennyson's Sleep followed,
shows equally imaginative programming, for
though Quilter’s version may be better known,
it was not included in the Quilter songs Lott
sang earlier.
This being a recital
of English song, Warlock’s My own country,
"which is a pleasant land"
segued straight into one of the best loved
English songs of all, Vaughan Williams’s Silent
Noon. As Stephen Banfield said in his
talk on Victorian poetry earlier in the festival,
Rossetti is expressing a barely suppressed
sensuality : the lovers lie close to the earth,
enfolded in "visible silence". Vaughan
William’s understated yet emotionally charged
setting enhances the sense of intimacy. Lott’s
singing was exquisite, too. "All round
our nest, as far as the eye can pass, are
golden kingcups with silver edge…" was
sung tenderly, as if Lott were sharing a delicious
secret.
Felicity Lott may be
one of the finest modern singers of French
song but she needed her score for the songs
of Madeleine Dring, which are rather different
to Lott’s usual repertoire. These songs draw
their interest directly from Betjeman’s poetry
: the musical commentary is so understated
as to be almost minimalist. Nonetheless, Betjeman’s
subjects are inherently interesting, and his
metre has a natural rhythmic flow which lends
itself to a humorous, almost declamatory approach.
Lott’s artistry made the songs come alive
– her acting skills and feel for text came
to the fore. Proof, if any were needed, of
how important singers are as part of the creative
process. The Walton songs were a more in line
with Lott’s abilities. The poems, by Edith
Sitwell were originally written to be recited,
as part of Facade. They are complex
poems, with angular lines and striking wordplays.
When the soprano Dora Foss asked, Walton set
them as songs, but added, "That'll teach
her !" for the musical setting is fiendishly
difficult to sing. Walton even manages to
express in music what Sitwell writes on paper
:
"Old Sir Faulk
Tall as a stork"
Lott's vocal agility
was easily a match for the wayward prose,
lines broken off mid sentence and catalogues
of words that would challenge the most articulate
of singers.
All the more surprising
then, that one of the students in Lott's masterclass
the next morning chose to sing two similar
Walton songs, when there was a choice of folk
songs and easier lollipops. A recipe for disaster?
Not in the least. Joana Seara, a young Portuguese
soprano gave a spirited performance which
showed exceptional musical maturity and grasp
of text, challenging even for a native speaker.
She was stunning : there was little for Lott
to correct but minor pronunciation. Seara
is carving a career in opera. She is one of
the best new singers I've heard in the last
ten years, definitely one to watch out for.
But many people enjoy masterclasses to watch
the teacher. Lott was natural and unpretentious,
putting the students at ease with self-deprecating
jokes. It was lovely to see this side of a
great diva's personality.
Anne Ozorio
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