She was quite a girl was Jane Barbier, the early 18th century diva who bestrode the London operatic scene. She was ‘discovered’ when, scarcely out of her teens, she stood in for an Italian castrato who had failed to show up. Her performance so wowed the London music scene that despite her Englishness (at that time only Italians sung Italian opera) she was soon in hot demand – with Handel, no less, giving her leading roles in Rinaldo, Il Pastor Fido and Teseo. But, not happy to be typecast, she was soon on the move to Drury Lane and Lincoln’s Inn Fields theatres where the operas, composed mainly by the German composers Johann Christoph Pepusch and Johann Ernst Galliard were, somewhat controversially, sung in English.
In best diva style, her personal life was as dramatic as the roles she played. One of her many flirtations culminated in what was obviously an rather unsuccessful elopement to Gretna Green as she returned to London soon after, still unmarried. Meanwhile her financial success as a singer allowed her to invest in the South Sea Stock Company, a public private partnership which planned to cash in on the lucrative slave trade. But the end of the Spanish War of Succession in 1713 freed up Spain to restrict the foreign trade in slaves and severely dent the company’s anticipated profits. Despite ever more unlikely attempts to prop it up, in 1720 the South Sea ‘bubble’ burst and the company collapsed – taking with the savings not only of Jane Barbier but of such eminent figures as Sir Isaac Newton.
Her savings gone, Jane had no option but to return to the operatic stage, singing not only the music of Handel, Pepusch and Galliard but of Thomas Arne and John Christopher Smith. She also gave recitals – which were in effect ‘benefits’. These enabled her to live in considerable comfort until her death, still unmarried, in 1757. A generous lady who obviously remembered only too well her own financial disasters as, in her will, she left five shillings each (a significant sum in 1757) to every debtor in the debtors’ prison.
All of this was revealed at Opera Settecento‘s delightful concert last week – the second in the London Handel Festival’s Autumn programme at St George’s Hanover Square. Jane’s story was narrated by Opera Settecento’s charismatic artistic director, the oboist Leo Duarte. Meanwhile Jane herself was brought to life in magnificant fashion by the wonderful mezzo Ciara Hendrick, accompanied by the Opera Settecento band, in numbers by Ariosto, Galliard, Pepusch, Thomas Arne, Christopher John Smith and, of course, Handel.
For details on the rest of the Festival’s autumn programme – a gala recital in support of the Music Therapy Charity on November 21st and the annual Messiah on December 5th, check in to the festival’s site.
The Multi Story Orchestra
A very different vibe – but another amazing concert a few weeks ago.
The Multi Story Orchestra are a community based orchestra and choir first formed in 2011 by composer Kate Whitley and conductor Christopher Stark who wanted to find ways to play orchestral music outside a formal concert hall. They also believed that everyone should be able to be involved in music and so got together with schools to form groups that could involve anyone, create anything and perform anywhere. Car parks are their favourite venues but on occasion they come indoors and I saw them at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.
The show I saw was ‘Verified’ – a song writer who is desperate to ‘verifiy’ himself by becoming a social media sensation. He ‘borrows’ some lyrics from a friend, hits the big time but then gets exposed and his world crumbles around him. Featuring three songs written by the ‘young creatives’ and performed with huge gusto by all concerned, it was a heart warming way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
For more on the Multi Story Orchestra and when and where they will be performing, check in to their site.
Meanwhile………. Have you booked yet for:
Monday 4th November – 6.30pm – Kyan Quartet.
£30 to include the concert, wine and supper. For more details and to book go here.
Thursday 7th November – 6pm – William Jack.
£15 to include a glass (or two) of wine. For more details and to book go here.
Wednesday 27th November – 6.30pm – Shirley Smart & Toby Medland.
£30 to include the concert, wine and supper. For more details and to book go here.
Sunday 1st December – 12 noon – Highgate Society Lunchtime Concert – Joana Ly and Martin André.
£15 to include a glass of Bucks Fizz. For more details and to book – or pay on the door.
For other future happenings in at Hampstead Lane and elsewhere – see our Upcoming Events page.
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