Fêtes Galantes
Suzanne Pinkerton
Review of the Hampstead Collective concert on 10th July
May I start by saying that this was an excellent programme? And I mean the printed one – nice clear print, everything there, and please trust your present writer that the translations were very well done. I don’t know where they came from. The singers were in summer mode – Christine Buras in a Regency style gown strewn with flowers, and Cath Backhouse in one of those trouser dresses so à la mode this season, while the gentlemen were all in variations of black and white – pianist Chad Vindin, a tower of strength, in all black, baritone James Geidt in a white shirt and black trousers, and tenor Richard Dowling in a combination of black and white too. And you know you’ve got a happy reviewer because they all had stylish beards!
It is always interesting to come across a singer you haven’t heard before and find you really enjoy their work. Except I had heard Richard Dowling before – as the sailor in “Dido and Aeneas” at the dear old Hackney Empire several years ago. I was reminded of this by the baritone who sang Aeneas – now who could that possibly be? Richard still works for English Touring Opera where I imagine his bright lyric tenor is most useful. I put in a request for a return visit to the Collective and have been promised one.
It was very nice to hear some French – and good French too – as it didn’t take one long, when I worked at the RAM, to find out that the British singers are terrified of singing in French. When they did “Orpheus in the Underworld” aka “Orphée aux enfers” they did the dialogue in English and the singing in French. Offenbach must have been turning in his grave!
And while we’re on the subject, James Geidt sang the Don Quichotte songs by Ravel (I love them) and shone in the Drinking Song, which is the last one. You could almost feel him waving a bottle round, even though he wasn’t.
Christine sang several Fauré songs, all of which I sang myself, so knew them, and was very touching. My favourite Brahms song (oh yes, I did) was sung by Cath, among other things, and she responded to its fervent end “Our love will last forever!” very well.
I’d never heard of a very long, very funny song “The Crocodile” By Benjamin Britten. It was like as not written for his partner, Peter Pears, who wasn’t exactly a bundle of laughs, but Richard had great fun with it and his bright tone was an asset.
I can’t mention every song, but it was nice to get a tenor singing some of the Lieder for a change. Of course, various famous ones have, mostly British or German (in my day, anyway) and Richard was particularly touching in “Morgen” – and “Tomorrow the sun will shine again”. If only, in the present state of the world, we could believe it.
A quick complimentary word to the singers, and then it was “Come away, come away, our anchors be weighing” and I’m sure a good time was had by all.
See you in August!