A Powerful Vocal Recital
This week’s lunchtime recital was given by Form 7 Music Scholar Daniel who gave a fantastic performance of a varied programme of music for voice and piano.
Daniel opened his recital with two songs from Ralph Vaughan Williams’ song cycle Songs of Travel. The two songs were a great showcase of the wealth of repertoire form the 20th-century British song tradition; ‘The Vagabond’ was characterful and strident, with ‘Bright is the ring of words’ providing a poignant contrast. These were followed by two songs by German composers: Mozart’s ‘O Isis und Osiris’ from his Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) and Brahms’ Sommerabend op. 85 no. 1. Both were full of warmth and musical generosity, with great control and pacing in the long melodic lines. Daniel’s recital finished with two settings of spirituals, ‘Steal Away’ and ‘Deep River’, arranged for voice and piano by Harry T Burleigh. These were hugely expressive, with a fantastic sense of space and time which really connected with the audience.
Congratulations to Daniel on a powerful programme sung with strength and warmth- it was a joy for the audience to hear. We look forward to next week’s recital where Form 7 Music Scholar and Head Boy, Obi, performs Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major op. 102.
