After the delightful Voice concert last Saturday (see below for more) we are now very much looking forward to welcoming Madeleine Mitchell and Richard Crabtree to Hampstead Lane on Sunday 24th for their Bach, Bartok, Boccherini and Judith Weir recital – which we hope will also include couple of pieces from Madeleine’s recent Violin Conversations release.
24th September – to buy tickets go here.
Doors will open at 6.30pm for a glass of wine; the concert will start at 7pm and be followed at around 8.15pm by a buffet supper. Carnivores, pescatoreans, veggies and vegans all catered for and supper is included in the price of your ticket.
And…… if you happen to be free tonight – Wednesday 12th – Madeleine and friends are playing piano trios at the wonderful Leighton House in Holland Park.
There are, I understand, just a few tickets left that you can book here.
Voice revisited
We were back in the Highgate School Chapel on Saturday evening for the Voice Trio concert, Patterns of Love – love songs through the ages. Victoria, Clemmie and Emily were, as always, wonderful – their voices which would sound pretty perfect anywhere are just to die for heard in the chapel. And their selection of love songs, from Hildegard of Bingen in the 12th century to Ayanna Witter-Johnson in 2014 were totally delightful.
I have chosen just four snippets to remind those who were there of how good it was – and to make everyone who wasn’t there feel jealous!
- Batonebo – a healing song from Guria in the western part of Georgia. The words tell of a child lying ill and this song entices out the ‘Batonebi’ (literally Lords or Sirs) that are thought to cause illness by entering the child’s body.
- Angelica the Doorkeeper by Marcus Davidson (2010)
- I love my love – a traditional English folk song
- on cricket, sex and housework by Ayanna Witter-Johnson (2014) (Take note of the words as Clemmie assured us that they were not only full of double entendres, but of triple ones!)
Here are the words of the last three songs:
Angelica the Doorkeeper Marcus Davidson for Voice (2010)
Text Anon., Serbia, translated from the Serbian by Anne Pennington
The falcon soars
The town’s gates are even higher
Angelica’s their doorkeeper
She’s wound the sun around her head
She’s tied the moon around her waist
She’s hung herself with stars.
I love my love – Traditional England, arr. C. Franks for Voice (2014)
Abroad as I was walking one evening in the spring,
I saw a maid in Bedlam so sweetly for to sing
Her chains she rattled with her hands and thus replied she:
“I love my love because I know my love loves me.
“O cruel were his parents who sent my love to sea
And cruel was the ship that bore my love from me;
Yet I love his parents since they’re his although they’ve ruined me:
I love my love because I know, my love loves me.”
Just as she sat there weeping, her love he came on land,
Then, hearing she was in Bedlam, he ran straight out of hand;
He flew into her snow white arms, and thus replied he:
“I love my love because I know my love loves me.”
She said; “My love don’t frighten me; are you my love or no?”
“O yes, my dearest Nancy, I am your love, also
I am returned to make amends for all your injury;
I love my love because I know my love loves me”
So now these two are married, and happy they may be
Like turtle doves together, in love and unity
All pretty maids with patience wait that have got loves at sea;
I love my love because I know my love loves me.
on cricket, sex and housework Ayanna Witter-Johnson for Voice (2014) Text by Jean “Binta” Breeze
I have never loved ironing
but something softens the crease
and although I played it straight, I fell to your googly
I came out slightly crinkly
perhaps it’s the strange things your fingers do around my seams
For more on the Voice Trio or to listen to or buy more of their music, including the full Patterns of Love programme, go to their website here
Upcoming concerts
22nd October – Highgate Society Sunday Lunchtime concerts.
The Ladies of the Salons Accompanied by Matt Redman, Patricia Hammond sings parlour songs from the 1830s to the 1930s.
For more information and to buy tickets
4th November – The baroque Spinet
Leading harpsichord player, Nathaniel Mander will be giving his new baroque spinet its very first London outing with us on November 4th.
A wonderfully baroque programme of music will be followed by an equally baroque supper which could have been enjoyed by any of our composers.
For more information and to buy tickets
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