Contents Welcome 4 Boyhood’s End 54 Prose A WATER BIRD TALK POEMS OF SIX ROMANCES A Water Bird Talk 6 Music and Text | MARINA TSVETAEVA ON BRITISH POETS Ideas on atonal music Q&A with Susan Bickley Dominick Argento Shostakovich | Tsvetaeva Shostakovich | Raleigh, John Shea recites Boyhood’s End Dominik Argento - a biography Burns, Shakespeare Julien Van Mellaerts Baritone Katie Stevenson Mezzo-soprano On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco, the Chekhov Play Holy Sonnets of John Donne 58 Ella O’Neill Pianist on which Argento bases A Water Bird Talk Ian Tindale Pianist Edward Hawkins Bass Poems Susan Bickley Director Bernadette Iglich Dancer Sergey Rybin Pianist La Voix Humaine 12 Making Material from a Sound World Rahel Vonmoos Director James Conway Director Life of an Artist in Lockdown Notes on ‘Holy Sonnets of John Donne’ LA VOIX HUMAINE Poulenc | Cocteau HOLY SONNETS THE POET’S ECHO Felicity Lott’s ‘Thoughts on Poulenc’ Poems of Marina Tsvetaeva 66 OF JOHN DONNE Britten | Pushkin La voix humaine — a programme note by Dr Lucy Walker Paula Sides Soprano Poems of Marina Tsvetaeva Britten | Donne A Distinctly Human Voice| A note on La voix humaine Sergey Rybin Pianist Jenny Stafford Soprano Marina Tsvetaeva: A Note from James Conway by James Conway James Conway Director Richard Dowling Tenor Sergey Rybin Pianist A Short Biography of Marina Tsvetaeva Ian Tindale Pianist James Conway Director Songs and Proverbs of William Blake 22 A reading of My Poems by Holly Mathieson TEL JOUR, TELLE NUIT Bernadette Iglich Choreography Poems Poulenc | Éluard & Dancer Background into Britten’s Songs and Proverbs The Heart’s Assurance 76 of William Blake, op. 74 Poems Jenny Stafford Soprano CHARM OF LULLABIES A reading of The Tyger by Tom Shakespeare Notes on ‘The Heart’s Assurance’ Julien Van Mellaerts Baritone Britten | Blake, Burns, Greene, A reading of Ah! Sun-flower by Jilly Cooper James Conway Director Randolph, Phillip A reading of A Poison Tree by Omar Shahryar Charm of Lullabies 82 Poems BOYHOOD’S END Katie Stevenson Mezzo-soprano Tippett | W.H. Hudson Ian Tindale Pianist Romances on British Poetry 30 Notes on A Charm of Lullabies James Conway Director Poems Thomas Elwin Tenor Director’s note Biographies 90 Ian Tindale Pianist SONGS AND Edward Hawkins recites Sonnet 66 by William Shakespeare Paul Chantry Dancer Acknowledgements 94 PROVERBS Rae Piper and Paul Chantry The Poet’s Echo 36 Choreography OF WILLIAM BLAKE Production Credits 97 Britten | Blake Poems and translation Preparing to stage A Poet’s Echo (Britten/ Pushkin) Tour schedule 98 THE HEART’S Julien Van Mellaerts Baritone Background on Britten’s The Poet’s Echo, op 76 (1965) ASSURANCE Ella O’Neill Pianist Tippett | Lewis & Keyes John Savournin Director Tel jour, telle nuit 44 Poems and translation Thomas Elwin Tenor Ian Tindale Pianist An extract from Poulenc’s ‘Diary of My Songs’ Richard Dowling Actor Poulenc: Tel jour tell nuit | Lucy Walker Bernadette Iglich Choreography Design Consultant: Louie Whitemore 2 3 Enjoy our opera for children, Shh! We Have a Plan Online until January 26th 2021 Four friends fail in their hare-brained schemes to catch a beautiful birdy. Welcome The littlest of them knows that a bit of kindness can go a long way. Will his friends follow his gentle lead or will they get themselves into even more trouble? In these extraordinary times, we are The team behind the hugely successful 2020 digital & puppetry adaption of pleased to offer this programme to I Want My Hat Back return in style with a short film of Chris Haughton’s much you for free. loved modern-classic Shh! We Have a Plan. A number of our friends and supporters Click here have offered to donate to ETO to cover the to donate costs of producing this programme. If you enjoy reading it and would like to donate, we would be grateful for your support. We have usually sold programmes for £4. 4 English Touring Opera at Snape Maltings - Baritone Julien Van Mellaerts and pianist Ella O’Neill perform Dominick Argento’s A Water Bird Talk 5 (October 23, 2020 - Beki Smith, Britten Pears Arts) Julien Van Mellaerts Baritone Ella O’Neill Pianist Susan Bickley Director — A Water Bird Talk Q&A with Susan Bickley Music and Text | Dominick Argento Dominik Argento - A biography Harmful effects of tobacco the Chekhov Play on which Argento bases A Water Bird Talk 6 Image: Baritone Julien Van Mellaerts and pianist Ella O’Neill perform Dominick Argento’s A Water Bird Talk 7 (October 23, 2020 - Beki Smith, Britten Pears Arts) JC: You are used to the harridan wife could be seen JC: How has this period learning pieces from the as a bit of a misogynistic cliché, of relative silence been perspective of the role you she’s clearly made this man’s life for you? Has it clarified are singing — did you come a misery… but I have to say i for you why you are a to know A Waterbird Talk have come across marriages that performer, for example? in a different sort of way? are not dissimilar in nature so Is there anything you there is definitely an element of would like to say about SB: I did approach working reality! Fortunately Julien is also the community of freelance on ‘Waterbird’ differently to an excellent pianist and as the artists, if you perceive that something I would be singing. score requires ‘the lecturer’ to there is a community? The text was my first job…to play, if he possibly can, that has work out what Argento was been a real bonus. SB: Well this year has been meaning, to read the play it was the most extraordinary time for based on and to then listen to JC: I know you have everyone in the arts. Freelancers, it and get a grip of what was recently done your own in particular, have really suffered happening musically. Then to one-person show, based as there has been little or no imagine what ‘ the lecturer’ on music of Berio. What financial support and many have Q&A with would be doing and where do you reckon to be the had to take other jobs to survive. and how on the stage. If it was particular challenges of a That is all very well… but when a role I was singing I would one-person show? you have trained for years and have probably done things the spent a fortune on study it is Susan Bickley other way round… getting to SB: I have had several heartbreaking not to be able to Photo Credit: Leon Hargreaves Photo Credit:Leon know the notes and studying experiences of being the sole use those very particular skills. the text second. Singers all singer in a piece, the most recent And they are skills that need to have different ways of getting of which was to perform Berio’s be nurtured and practised… a to know what they are having Recital for Cathy. It is scored difficult thing to maintain while Director, James Conway JC: As a performer, what JC: What was it like to learn. As a performer who for a singer and accompanist working for Amazon, say, on speaks with mezzo-soprano have you come to value directing another singer? has learnt the skill of interpreting and chamber orchestra who are night shifts. I count my blessings… in a director? Susan Bickley about SB: What a very interesting someone else’s ideas… offstage and was written for his I had a lot of work cancelled, the difference between SB: As a performer I’ve been situation to be in... to be on composer, librettist, director or wife Cathy Berberian. It’s a piece here and abroad, but I have a of music theatre….a monologue performing and directing extremely fortunate to work the other side of the table! I conductor it was most interesting husband who works full time so with some truly inspirational hadn’t really planned to do any to be suggesting my ideas to from a singer giving a recital in we are not on the breadline. and how this has influenced someone else for a change! which she gradually loses her However, many young artists, her direction of Argento’s directors... my favourites being directing but was delighted to those who regularly choose be asked by James Conway... mind while singing about 42 some married to other performers A Water Bird Talk. to work in theatre as well and perhaps starting with a JC: What do you like best very short extracts from her past and with families to support, as opera. Before ending up one person opera is a good about A Waterbird Talk? repertoire. What a piece! Very have really suffered. So those studying music and singing I idea! My first reaction was to When does it speak to tricky to learn but covering the companies, like ETO, who had always wanted to be an think ..‘oh I’m not sure I’d be your heart? full gamut of emotion. We last are now managing to mount performed it in the British Museum some performances, albeit in actress and so being involved up to that..’ but frankly, in these SB: It’s an interesting piece… amongst the Elgin Marbles! I compromised ways, will be the in opera has ticked all boxes! times when singing work is Waterbird... a rather good loved doing it… but when you’re saviours for those young singers, Directors who also understand virtually nonexistent, it seemed vehicle for an actor/singer to on your own there certainly actors, technicians etc starting the nature of the music are very the perfect time to take on a show a wide variety of emotions.