Late January – February 2025: A Book of Song, a collaboration with composer/pianist Nathan Williamson and three singers, received its first try-out performance at Sophie’s Barn, Chacombe.
A Book of Song is a reimagining of the classical song recital for the 21st century. This entails two things: broadening recital repertoire to encompass vernacular musics alongside art song, and inviting the singers to bring to the process songs that they want to sing irrespective of whether they are regarded as ‘right’ for their voice types or conforming to promoters’ and audiences’ expectations for song recital repertoire. The result was a recital that ranged through Schubert, Fauré and Handel, contemporary music by myself and Hannah Conway, French pop (Ceux qui revant by Pomme) and Sudanese folk song.
But Nathan and I aimed to go much further than simply questioning repertoire; we wanted to create a seamless, composed, programme in which songs were re-arranged, re-composed, segued, superimposed and generally treated as compositional material rather than revered works. We also wanted to work with the singers from the ground up, being led by them and their particular skills, using improvisation and taking an approach closer to theatrical devising than the conventional, paper-based, composition we both normally practice.
A Book of Song would be nothing without our singers: soprano Clara Barbier, countertenor Magid El-Bushra and baritone Rob Gildon have embraced the concept of a recital-as-composition and a more improvisatory way of working with gusto. During the two days of development we had in Sophie’s Barn prior to our performance on the evening of the third day we ran the gamut of collaboration – excitement, boredom, frustration, moments of sudden illumination, long periods of trial and error, capped off with the adrenaline rush of performance. For me the experience was immensely inspiring; it is a long time since I have been in such an intense and communal creative incubator and it took me a while to come down from the high of being one part of a successful artistic endeavour.
As I write we are awaiting the outcome of an application for a Britten Pears Arts residency at Snape Maltings. If successful we aim to use this to develop a longer programme approaching an hour in length and to refine our improvisatory approach, in particular to allow for greater fluidity and risk-taking in performance.
