Around Poulenc and Britten

AROUND POULENC AND BRITTEN

Erin Hall, Rondebosch
16:00

Another opportunity to hear some of our best art songs performers perform some of the best art songs ever composed!

The Songmakers’ Guild celebrates
Poulenc and Britten 

A continuation of the Songmakers’ Guild’s 25^th birthday celebration series under the title “Do you remember…” is a repeat of a recital done in June 2nd, 2013.

The program revolves around two of the giants of twentieth century art song: Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) and Benjamin Britten (1903-1976) but also features a contribution from a contemporary of theirs who shared many of their ideals: Samuel Barber (1910-1981). As in 2013 the performers are mezzo soprano Minette du Toit-Pearce, baritone Aubrey Lodewyk, and pianist Albie van Schalkwyk.

Poulenc’s song set Chansons gaillardes (Ribald songs) written in 1926 during his enfant terrible days on seventeenth century poems, shows a man full of sly playfulness and irreverence. In contrast the set called Banalités of 1940 is the product of the more serious and adult artist of World War II years, but still with a unique sense of humour, as can be seen from the inclusion of one of his most famous songs, Hôtel, possibly the only one written about the pleasures of smoking!

“My room is like a cage. The sun passes its arm through the window, but I – who want to smoke in order to make smoke-shapes – I light my cigarette with the fire of daylight. I do not want to work… I want to smoke.” Guillaume Apollinaire

Britten is represented by A Charm of Lullabies, the most varied set of cradle songs in the repertoire! The programme will open with Samuel Barber’s beautifully melodic song set, Mélodies passagères, of which Poulenc and his baritone colleague and friend, Pierre Bernac, gave the première while on a tour in America in 1948.

Tickets
R110,00
(R100 for pensioners and R50 for students and learners)

Enquiries and bookings

Hanna van Schalkwyk at 082 824 1007
or hannavs15@gmail.com