
Programme
Shakespeare Songs Recital
Soprano Charlotte Newstead
Mezzosoprano Rebecca Chellappah
Piano Claire Alsop
Flutist Maria Priest
St Albans church Sunday 16th Feb 2:30-3:30
1. Duet : It was a lover and his lass Thomas Morley
2. 7 Shakespeare Songs, songs by Madeleine Dring (1923-1977)
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1. The Cuckoo - Lotti
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2. It was a lover - Rebecca
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3. Take o take those lips away - Lotti
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4. Under the greenwood tree - Rebecca
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5. Come away death - Lotti
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6. Blow blow thy winter wind- Rebecca
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7. Crabbed age and youth - Lotti & Rebecca
3. Duet :Orpheus with his lute by Sir Henry Rowley Bishop (1786-1855)
4. Lotti:
1. Come away death
2. Fear no more by Roger Quilter(1877-1953)
5. Rebecca :
1. Where the Bee sucks by Thomas Arne(1720-1778) with Maria Priest on the flute
2. Desdemona’s song from Eric Korngold(1897-1957) 4 Shakespeare songs op.31
6. Duet : I know a bank by Charles E Horn (1786-1849)
Performers:
Maria Priest has been playing flute and ‘cello since her teens and now she has retired from her career in engineering, she can play even more! ! While most of her music making is ‘cello based, she is always on the lookout to play the flute. As such she is really thrilled to be given the opportunity to accompany Rebecca in one of her concert pieces, and such a lovely piece at that!
Claire Alsop is a Bristol based pianist and organist. After beginning her musical studies in Durham, she came to Bristol to study music at the university and she was also organ scholar at Bristol Cathedral. On graduating, Claire was appointed organist of Cheltenham Ladies College, where she worked until 2001, and she was also accompanist to the Cheltenham Bach Choir. She gained the FRCO diploma in 2006, winning the Turpin prize. Claire is assistant organist at St Mary Redcliffe church, and as a freelance musician enjoys a range of music-making including teaching, accompanying and solo work, and has broadcast live on both Radio 3 and BBC1, as well as musical theatre work and ABRSM examining. Claire is involved in a wide range of music education activities in Bristol and beyond, and greatly appreciates having the opportunity to work with children at the beginning of their own musical journeys. During the recent lockdown, Claire gave daily online recitals via Facebook, which received over 20,000 views from across the globe.
Charlotte Newstead maintains a busy and varied career which includes performance work as a concert soprano, one-to-one teaching and running on-line evening classes in music appreciation.
Her busy teaching practice in Bristol caters for students at all stages of the singing journey. She believes passionately in giving everyone the chance to make music and is firmly of the opinion that with a little help, anyone can sing.She also runs a number of online adult-learning classes in music appreciation, making classical music of all genres accessible to a wide audience of confident concert-goers and nervous newcomers. More information on all her work is available on her website: www.charlottenewstead.co.uk
Mezzo soprano Rebecca Chellappah holds a Masters in Music with Distinction from the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). She works full time as amezzosoprano and singing teacher.
Rebecca operatic title roles here in the UK include Bizet's Carmen which won National Opera and Dramatic Association UK Best Operatic production 2018, Rosina in Rossini's The Barber of Seville, Delilah in Saint-Saëns Samson and Delilah and Helene in Offenbach's La Belle Helene. Rebecca most recently sang the title role of Anne in the world premiere of Joel Baldwin’s opera FISH for Bristol Operas Centenary concert at the Bristol Aerospace Museum under the wings of the Concorde.
An active recitalist, Rebecca has given many well received song recitals in Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan and the UK. She is also in demand internationally as an alto soloist in oratorio. Rebecca specialises in teaching singing technique and runs a successful private teaching studio. She believes that everyone should enjoy the pleasure of singing and loves helping others find the best in their voices.She is very passionate about the promotion of a healthy lifelong singing technique and firmly believes that singing is simply good for the soul.. You can find out more about Rebecca at Www.rebeccachellappah.com
Programme Notes
“It was a lover and his lass”By William Shakespeare(from As You Like It)
It was a lover and his lass, With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,That o’er the green cornfield did pass, In springtime, the only pretty ring time,When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;Sweet lovers love the spring.Between the acres of the rye, With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,Those pretty country folks would lie, In springtime, the only pretty ring time,When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;Sweet lovers love the spring.This carol they began that hour, With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,How that a life was but a flower In springtime, the only pretty ring time,When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;Sweet lovers love the spring.And therefore take the present time, With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,For love is crownèd with the prime In springtime, the only pretty ring time,When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;Sweet lovers love the spring.
“When daisies pied and violets blue” By William Shakespeare(from Love's Labors Lost)
When daisies pied and violets blue And lady-smocks all silver-whiteAnd cuckoo-buds of yellow hue Do paint the meadows with delight,The cuckoo then, on every tree,Mocks married men; for thus sings he: “Cuckoo;Cuckoo, cuckoo!” O, word of fear,Unpleasing to a married ear!When shepherds pipe on oaten straws, And merry larks are ploughmen's clocks,When turtles tread, and rooks, and daws, And maidens bleach their summer smocks,The cuckoo then, on every tree,Mocks married men; for thus sings he, “Cuckoo;Cuckoo, cuckoo!” O, word of fear,Unpleasing to a married ear!When icicles hang by the wall, And Dick the shepherd blows his nail,And Tom bears logs into the hall, And milk comes frozen home in pail,When blood is nipp'd, and ways be foul,Then nightly sings the staring-owl, “Tu-who;Tu-whit, tu-who!”—a merry note,While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.When all aloud the wind doth blow, And coughing drowns the parson's saw,And birds sit brooding in the snow, And Marian's nose looks red and raw,When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl,Then nightly sings the staring owl, “Tu-who;Tu-whit, tu-who!”—a merry note,While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.
“Take, oh take those lips away”By William Shakespeare(from Measure for Measure)
Take, oh take those lips away, That so sweetly were forsworn,And those eyes: the breake of day, Lights that do mislead the Morn;But my kisses bring again, bring again,Seals of love, but sealed in vain, sealed in vain.
“Under the greenwood tree”By William Shakespeare(from As You Like It)
Under the greenwood tree Who loves to lie with me, And turn his merry note Unto the sweet bird's throat, Come hither, come hither, come hither: Here shall he see No enemy But winter and rough weather. Who doth ambition shun And loves to live i' the sun,Seeking the food he eats, And pleased with what he gets, Come hither, come hither, come hither: Here shall he see No enemy But winter and rough weather
“Come away, come away, death” By William Shakespeare(from Twelfth Night)
Come away, come away, death, And in sad cypress let me be laid.Fly away, fly away, breath; I am slain by a fair cruel maid.My shroud of white, stuck all with yew, O, prepare it!My part of death, no one so true Did share it.Not a flower, not a flower sweet, On my black coffin let there be strown.Not a friend, not a friend greet My poor corpse, where my bones shall be thrown.A thousand thousand sighs to save, Lay me, O, whereSad true lover never find my grave, To weep there!
“Blow, blow, thou winter wind”By William Shakespeare
Blow, blow, thou winter wind, Thou art not so unkind As man’s ingratitude; Thy tooth is not so keen,Because thou art not seen, Although thy breath be rude.Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly: Then, heigh-ho, the holly! This life is most jolly. Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky, That dost not bite so nigh As benefits forgot: Though thou the waters warp, Thy sting is not so sharp As friend remembered not.Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly...
"Crabbed Age and Youth" William Shakespeare
Crabbed Age and YouthCannot live together:Youth is full of pleasance,Age is full of care;Youth like summer morn,Age like winter weather;Youth like summer brave,Age like winter bare.Youth is full of sport,Age’s breath is short;Youth is nimble, Age is lame;Youth is hot and bold,Age is weak and cold;Youth is wild, and Age is tame.Age, I do abhor thee;Youth, I do adore thee;O, my Love, my Love is young!Age, I do defy thee:O, sweet shepherd, hie thee:For methinks thou stay’st too long.
Orpheus with his lute by William Shakespeare King Henry VIII, Act 3, Scene 1
Orpheus with his lute made trees,And the mountain-tops that freeze,Bow themselves, when he did sing:To his music, plants and flowersEver sprung; as sun and showersThere had made a lasting spring.Everything that heard him play,Even the billows of the sea,Hung their heads, and then lay by.In sweet music is such art:Killing care and grief of heartFall asleep, or, hearing, die.
“Fear no more the heat o’ the sun” By William Shakespeare(from Cymbeline)
Fear no more the heat o’ the sun,Nor the furious winter’s rages;Thou thy worldly task hast done,Home art gone, and ta’en thy wages:Golden lads and girls all must,As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.Fear no more the frown o’ the great;Thou art past the tyrant’s stroke;Care no more to clothe and eat;To thee the reed is as the oak:The scepter, learning, physic, mustAll follow this, and come to dust.Fear no more the lightning flash,Nor the all-dreaded thunder stone;Fear not slander, censure rash;Thou hast finished joy and moan:All lovers young, all lovers mustConsign to thee, and come to dust.No exorciser harm thee!Nor no witchcraft charm thee!Ghost unlaid forbear thee!Nothing ill come near thee!Quiet consummation have;And renownèd be thy grave!
“Where the bee sucks, there suck I”By William Shakespeare(from The Tempest)
Where the bee sucks, there suck I:In a cowslip’s bell I lie;There I couch when owls do cry.On the bat’s back I do flyAfter summer merrily. Merrily, merrily shall I live nowUnder the blossom that hangs on the bough.
"The Willow Song", in Act 4, Scene 3 of Othello. Desdemona is preparing for bed, afraid that Othello is wrongly angry with her for being unfaithful. She sings "The Willow Song", a mournful folk ballad, in which a lady laments her lost love. Desdemona only has time to sing two verses before she breaks off to talk to her maid Emilia.
The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree
Sing all a green willow:
Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee
Sing willow, willow, willow:
The fresh streams ran by her, and murmur'd her moans;
Sing willow, willow, willow;
Her salt tears fell from her, and soften'd the stones;
Sing willow, willow, willow;
Sing all a green willow my garland must be
Sing all a green willow;
Let nobody blame him; his scorn I approve
Sing willow, willow, willow
I call'd my love false love; but what said he then?
Sing willow, willow, willow:
If I court moe women, you'll couch with moe men!
Sing willow, willow, willow
Spoken by Oberon, Act 2, Scene 1I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine:There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,Lull’d in these flowers with dances and delight;