Bethan Terry, soprano; Ellen Pearson, mezzo-soprano; Harun Tekin, tenor; Anton Kirchhoff, baritone. Anna Giorgi, Francesca Lauri,Jia Ning Ng, piano
This is apparently the fifth year of the Wigmore French Song Exchange, devised by Dame Felicity Lott and François Le Roux, two great champions of the mélodie, alongside Sebastian Wybrew. The programme offers gifted singers and pianists a year of coaching from their mentors, culminating in showcase performances.
There was a soprano, mezzo, tenor and baritone presenting songs and duets at this recital, alongside their accompanists. Let me say first that all the singers were excellent and the accompanists likewise. There are two further things I think I’d like to say.
- The songs were well chosen, in being varied in form, content and composer. Inevitably I liked some more than others. Top was a great favourite I’ve known for more than 50 years – ‘L’Invitation au voyage’ by Duparc. I also particularly enjoyed Reynaldo Hahn’s setting of Verlaine, ‘L’Heure Exquise’, and some of the Ravel and Bizet songs
- It was interesting watching and listening to the singers. When you see a group of quite, but not massively, experienced youngish singers, you realise how important communication is – with face, eyes, hands – in the art of singing. To my mind, the best singer of the four was Bethan Terry, not because of her technical vocal expertise (as I said, they all sang very well), but because she was constantly alerting her audience to nuances of text in the song by gestures, movements, and facial expressions even (particularly in the Bizet duet) – good acting in other words, and making herself vulnerable to aid that connection with the audience. As a result she was totally absorbing to listen to
John's musical journey 