Vancouver was a great success, and a tribute to the organistaion of Rena Sharon and all her team. It was most enjoyable not only giving classes and lectures, but going to others given by Graham Johnson and Susan Youens in particular. My recital with Graham wasn’t designed to be especially long, but we decided to embellish it with some dialogue from the stage, and as a result it went on for at least half an hour longer. Never mind, the listeners seemed pleased to get their money’s worth.

Our Ansells Song Day on September 15th, which will look at how to build a programme, is fully booked. The last time we had a day like this we were amazed at people’s resourcefulness in finding connections between songs which at first sight seemed to belong to different worlds. This time I’m prepared to be astonished.

As well as providing a chapter on European Art Song for the Cambridge Companion to Singing, Stephen has written an acclaimed work on the interpretation of English song – Sing English Song. There have long been books on German Lieder and French Mélodies, and it was Pierre Bernac’s Interpretation of French Song which prompted him to create something similar for the English repertoire.

Stephen passionately believes that for the English-speaking singer the best approach to gaining experience in singing with intelligence and understanding is to start with one’s native language. Two of the problems for the young singer, namely the pronunciation and meaning of a foreign text, are immediately removed. Quite apart from this eminently practical purpose, there is the quality of the songs themselves, many of which stand comparison with their French and German counterparts. The book is mainly aimed at British students who might otherwise not be encouraged to explore their own musical heritage, but will also appeal to foreign singers who are interested to develop their knowledge of the language and the music.

Some reviews:

‘…a helpful guide, giving insight into the genre for advanced students and performers alike.’ – Sheet Music

‘…a wonderfully thought-provoking book which will in fact encourage singers to re-examine their approach to any music, not just that by English composers.’ – Classical Music

‘Stephen Varcoe has produced a valuable book, Sing English Song, outlining just how we shape our elusive tongue.’ – The Independent

‘Stephen Varcoe’s approach reflects both the practical experience accumulated during his distinguished career as a singer, and the serious thought he has given to the theoretical underpinnings of his art and craft. Quite apart from the valuable things it has to say, the book makes a most enjoyable read; Stephen Varcoe is a natural writer, and this is one of those books where by the end you feel that you know the author well and would get on with them if ever you met them.’ The English Poetry and Song Society Newsletter

Stanford songs volume 1:

‘Sung with exceptional sensitivity and intelligence…a pleasure to listen to’ (Gramophone)

‘Warmly recommended’ (Classic CD)

‘No praise can be too high for Stephen Varcoe…his warm, natural baritone, finely judged legato and sensitivity to words are a joy throuhgout’ (International Record Review)

Stanford songs volume 2:

‘Stephen Varcoe is the perfect singer for this repertoire. A treasure of a disc’ (Fanfare)

‘Maintains in each and every bar the high standards of the previous release’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Beautifully performed with excellent notes, this recording will convince even the skeptical of the true worth of these songs…a most sensitive performance’ (Gramophone)

‘This collection, along with its predecessor, has changed my life. Without any question, it contains some magnificent songs, settings that would grace any company under the sun…voice and piano are in true partnership. I can only salute with deepest admiration Stephen Varcoe’s sterling baritone, so utterly sympathetic to Stanford’s every note, so undemonstratively secure, so responsive to word and musical line’ (International Record Review)

Parry songs:

‘Une heure d’absolu ravissement’ (Diapason)

Fauré songs:

‘The immaculate voice of Stephen Varcoe singing the four songs of Mirages’ (Music Web International)

Grainger vol 2: songs for baritone – Chandos:

Stephen Varcoe’s nothing less than a marvel. The intonation is dead-on true, the tone clear, the diction immaculate. He phrases sound as supple as a great pop singer, like Bennett, Sinatra, Tormé, or Astaire. He has no annoying vocal mannerisms to snatch attention from the music. He sings superbly even in dialect. Even more wonderful, he has solved the chief problem of a singer of songs: that of “naturalness.” He communicates. He knows what the texts are about and can convey them to the listener. He’s a singing story-teller. I’d love to hear a Winterreise from him, or a Fauré recital. [Classical Net – Steve Schwarz]

Armstrong Gibbs songs – Hyperion

Stephen Varcoe has a perfect song-singer’s voice; not only is the tone blessed with a warmly resonant character that can carry almost any melody, but behind it is a steadiness and strength of sound and sureness of delivery that seems effortless. His upper-register singing is lovely, and he sparingly employs falsetto to delightful effect. [Classics Today – David Vernier]

T Armstrong	A PASSER-BY London Philharmonic Orchestra/Paul Daniel	Chandos CHAN9657
C P E Bach	DIE AUFERSTEHUNG UND HIMMELFAHRT JESU Rheinische Kantorei/H. Max	Capriccio 10 206/7
C P E Bach	DIE ISRAELITEN IN DIE WÜSTE – MOSES Capella Coloniensis/W. Christie	Harmonia Mundi HMA 190 231
J S Bach	ASCENSION CANTATAS Nos 11/294b, 37, 43 & 128 Monteverdi Choir/English Baroque Soloists/Gardiner	Archiv Produktion 463 583 – 2AH
J S Bach	FUNERAL CANTATAS Nos 106, 118, 198 Monteverdi Choir/English Baroque Soloists/Gardiner	Archiv Produktion 463 581– 2AH
J S Bach	CANTATAS Nos 4, 6, 31, 66, 134, 145 Monteverdi Choir/English Baroque Soloists/Gardiner	Soli Deo Gloria Vol 22 SDG 128
J S Bach	CANTATAS Nos 108, 117, 166 Monteverdi Choir/English Baroque Soloists/Gardiner	Soli Deo Gloria Vol 24 SDG 107
J S Bach	CANTATAS Das Kleine Konzert/Max	Carus-Verlag Carus 63.117
J S Bach	CANTATAS Nos 72, 73, 111, 156 Monteverdi Choi/English Baroque Soloists/Gadiner	Archiv Produktion 463 582 – 2AH
J S Bach	CANTATAS Nos 131, 152, 161 The Theatre of Early Music	ATMA Classique ACD2 2279
J S Bach	CANTATAS Nos 4 & 131 Monteverdi Choir/Gardiner	Erato 2292 45988-2
J S Bach	CANTATAS Nos 140 & 147 Monteverdi Choir/Gardiner	Archiv 431 809-2AH
J S Bach	CANTATAS Nos 106, 118B, 198 Monteverdi Choir/Gardiner	Archiv 429 782 – 2AH
J S Bach	CANTATAS Nos 212 & 211 / Mass in A, Mass in G Basle Madrigalists/H M Linde	EMI CZS7 67552-2
J S Bach	BACH – CHORAL WORKS Monteverdi Ch/London Oratory Ch/J E Gardiner	DEUT 469 769-2X9
J S Bach	FAMOUS CHORUSES Monteverdi Ch/Gardiner	ARCH 439 885-2AH
J S Bach	MAGNIFICAT Collegium Musicum 90/Hickox	Chandos CHAN0518
J S Bach	MASS IN B MINOR Monteverdi Choir/Gardiner	Archiv 415 514-2AH2 / 415 514 – 4AH2
J S Bach	MASS IN B MINOR CM 90/Hickox	Chandos CHAN0533/4
J S Bach	ST JOHN PASSION Choir of King's College/Cleobury	Columns Classics 290241
J S Bach	ST JOHN PASSION Monteverdi Choir/Gardiner	Archiv 419 324 – 2 AH2 / 419 324 – 4AH2
J S Bach	ST MATTHEW PASSION Goodwin	United 89301
Bach Family	CANTATAS Musica Antiqua Köln/Goebbel	Archiv 419 253 2
Erik Bergman	CHORAL WORKS New London Chamber Choir/J. Wood	Chandos CHAN8478
Beethoven	BEETHOVEN Mass in C, Op 86. CM90/Richard Hickox	Chandos CHAN0703
Blow	ANTHEMS Parley of Instruments/Winchester Cathedral Choir/Hill	Hyperion CDA 67031/2
Blow	VENUS AND ADONIS – ADONIS London Baroque/C Medlam	Harmonia Mundi HMA 190 1276
Boyce	THE SECULAR MASQUE – JANUS The Hanover Band/The Choir of New College Oxford/Graham Lea-Cox	ASV Gaudeamus CD GAU176
Bridge	SONGS Christopher Cox	Pearl SHE 577
Britten	CANTATA MISERICORDIUM CLS/Hickox	Chandos CHAN8997
Britten	KING ARTHUR/WORLD OF THE SPIRIT BBC Philharmonic Orchestra/Hickox	Chandos CHAN9487
Bruckner	MASS IN E MINOR London Schutz Choir/Norrington	Decca 430 365-2
Bruckner	CHORAL WORKS St John’s College Choir/G Guest	Decca 455 035-2DF2
Geoffrey Bush	4 SONGS FROM THE HESPERIDES CLS/Hickox	Chandos CHAN8864
Campra	MESSA DE REQUIEM Paris Chapelle Royale/Herreweghe	Harmonia Mundi HMC90 1251
Carissimi	JONAS / JUDICIUM EXTREMUM Monteverdi Choir/Gardiner	Erato 2292 45466-2
Chabrier	CHABRIER – MUSIQUE ADORABLE F Lott/G Johnson/W Burden/G McGreevy/T Spence/Poliphony	Hyperion CDA67133/4
Charpentier	VESPERS Peter Seymour	No details
Croft	MUSIC FOR CROFT John Holloway	National Trust NT 005
Delius	A VILLAGE ROMEO & JULIET Meredith Davies	No details
Fauré	REQUIEM CLS & Cambridge Singers/J. Rutter	Collegium COLCD 109
Fauré	THE COMPLETE SONGS – VOL 1 Graham Johnson	Hyperion CDA 67333
Fauré	THE COMPLETE SONGS – VOL 2 Graham Johnson	Hyperion CDA 67334
Fauré	THE COMPLETE SONGS – VOL 3 Graham Johnson	Hyperion CDA 67335
Fauré	THE COMPLETE SONGS – VOL 4 Graham Johnson	Hyperion CDA 67336
Finzi	REQUIEM DA CAMERA CLS/Hickox	Chandos Chan8997
Finzi	SONGS CYCLES TO WORDS BY THOMAS HARDY Clifford Benson	Hyperion CDA 66161/2
Gibbons	ANTHEMS AND VERSE ANTHEMS Winchester Cathedral Choir/Hill	Hyperion CDA 67116
Gibbs	ARMSTRONG GIBBS – SONGS R Vignoles/GMcGreevy	HYPE CDA67337
Grainger	SONGS VOL 2 Penelope Thwaites	Chandos CHAN9503
Grainger	SONGS VOL 3 City of London Sinfonia/Richard Hickox	Chandos CHAN9499
Grainger	SONGS VOL 5 City of London Sinfonia/Richard Hickox	Chandos CHAN 9554
Grainger	SONGS VOL 9 City of London Sinfonia/Richard Hichox	Chandos CHAN9653
Grainger	SONGS VOL 12 John Lavender	Chandos CHAN9730
Grainger	SONGS VOL 14 Academy of St Martin's in the Fields	Chandos CHAN9819
Graupner	OVERTURES IN D & G Das Kleine Konzert /Hermann Max	CPO CPO999 592
Gurney	THE WESTERN PLAYLAND Song Cycle Delmé String Quartet/I. Burnside	Hyperion CDA 66385
Hahn	SONGS Graham Johnson	Hyperion CDA67141/2
Handel	ALEXANDER'S FEAST – Ode for St Cecilia's Day (exerpts) Monteverdi Choi/Gardiner	Philips PHIL (2) 422 053-2PH2
Handel	ALESSANDRO Petite Bande/S Kuijken	DHM GD77110
Handel	ALEXANDER'S FEAST Monteverdi Choir/Gardiner	Philips 422 053-2PH2
Handel	L'ALLEGRO, IL PENSEROSO ED IL MODERATO Monteverdi Choir/Gardiner	Erato 2292-45377-2
Handel	DETTINGEN TE DEUM Preston	No details
Handel	ISRAEL IN EGYPT, HWV54; THE WAYS OF ZION DO MOURN, HWV264. Montiverdi Choir and Orchestra / English Baroque Soloists / Gardiner	Warner Classics 2564 61757-2
Handel	ISRAEL IN EGYPT Monteverdi Choir/Gardiner	Erato 2292-45399-2
Handel	ISRAEL IN EGYPT Choir of Kings College/Brandenburg Consort/Stephen Cleobury	Decca 452-295-2DH2
Handel	JEPHTHA Maulbronn/Budday	K & K Verlag LC 04457
Handel	JEPHTHA Monteverdi Choir/Gardiner	Philips 422 351-2PH3
Handel	JEPHTHA Klosterkonzerte Baroque Orchestra/Budday	K&K LC04457
Handel	PARTENOPE Petite Bande/S. Kuijken	DHM GD77109
Handel	SOLOMON Monteverdi Choir/Gardiner	Philips 412 612-2PH2
Handel	THE TRIUMPH OF TIME & TRUTH London Handel Orchestra/ D. Darlow	Hyperion CDA 66071/2
Handel/Mozart	MESSIAH La Grande Ecurie/Malgoire	Astrée E 8509
Haydn	GREAT ORGAN MASS Collegium Musicum 90/Richard Hickox	Chandos CHAN0674
Haydn	HARMONIEMESSE CM90/Richard Hickox	Chandos CHAN0612
Haydn	L'INFEDELTA DELUSA – NANNI La Petite Bande/Kuijken	Harmonia Mundi RD 77099
Haydn	MASSES 1 & 11. AVE REGINA CM90/Richard Hickox	Chandos CHAN0640
Haydn	MISSA CELLENSIS CM90/Hickox	Chandos CHAN0667
Haydn	MASSES 6 & 9 CM90/Richard Hickox	Chandos CHAN0645
Haydn	PAUKENMESSE CM90/Richard Hickox	Chandos CHAN0633
Haydn	SCHÖPFUNGSMESSE CM 90/Richard Hickox	Chandos CHAN0599
Haydn	THERESIENMESSE CM 90/Richard Hickox	Chandos CHAN0592
Holst	SÁVITRI Richard Hickox	Hyperion CDA 66099
Homilius	CANTATA Das Kleine Konzert/Max	Capriccio 10 557
Hummel	MASS NO. 2 IN E FLAT, OP. 80; TE DEUM; QUOD IN ORBE, OP. 88 Collegium Musicum 90/ Hickox	Chandos CHAN0712
Jeffreys	A MUSICK STRANGE UEA Singers/Peter Aston	Merlin MRFD95802
Lalande	GRAND MOTETS New College Choir/King's Consort/E. Higginbottom	Erato 2292-45014-2
Mondonville	MOTETS London Baroque/E. Higginbottom	Hyperion CDA 66269
Monteverdi	ORFEO London Baroque	Electrola
Mozart	THE COMPLETE MOZART EDITION Volume 22 – Grabmusik – cantata K42a/K35a Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra/Neville Marriner	Philips 422 522-2PME6
Mozart	WAISENHAUSMESSE IN C MINOR K139 Collegium Aureum/H. Henning	DHM VD77 588
Musgrave	THE FALL OF NARCISUS English Serenata/V Soames Samek	Clarinet Classics CC0039
Osborne	I AM GOYA CLS/Hickox	Unicorn DKP 9031
Parry	SONGS Clifford Benson	Hyperion CDA 67044
Ponchielli	LA GIOCONDA – SINGER National Philharmonic Orchestra/Bartoletti	Decca 414 3492DH3
Purcell	ANTHEMS – O GOD, THE KING OF GLORY Collegium Instrumentale Brugense/Peire	Eufoda EUF1329
Purcell	COMPLETE ANTHEMS & SERVICES Volume 4 The King's Consort/Robert King	Hyperion CDA 66644
Purcell	DIDO AND AENEAS – AENEAS The English Concert/Pinnock REISSUE	Archiv 427624-2AH 474 672-2
Purcell	ENGLAND, MY ENGLAND Monteverdi Choir/English Baroque Soloists/Gardiner	Erato 0630-10700-2
Purcell	THE FAIRY QUEEN Monteverdi Choir/Gardiner	Archiv 419 221-2AH2
Purcell	HAIL, BRIGHT CECILIA Monteverdi Choir/Gardiner	Erato 2292 45187-2
Purcell	THE INDIAN QUEEN – ISMERON Monteverdi Choir/Gardiner	Erato 2292 45556-2
Purcell	KING ARTHUR Monteverdi Choir/Gardiner	Eratoef 2292 45211-2
Purcell	THE TEMPEST – ISMERON Monteverdi Choir/Gardiner	Erato 2292 4555-2
Purcell	TIMON OF ATHENS Monteverdi Choir/Gardiner	Erato 2292 45327-2
Purcell	PURCELL – OPERA AND CHORAL WORKS Eng Concert/Hamburg Monteverdi Ch/EBS/Christchurch Cath Ch/C Mackerras/J E Gardiner/S Preston	DEUT 439 474-2GCL
Purcell	THE PURCELL COLLECTION J E Gardiner	ERAT 4509-96371-2
Purcell	MUSIC FOR QUEEN MARY etc Various Artist/Monteverdi Choir/J E Gardiner	TELD 8573 88044-2
Rameau	LES BORÉADES – APOLLO Monteverdi/Gardiner	Erato
Rameau	MOTETS Paris Chapelle Royale Orchestra/Herreweghe	Harmonia Mundi HMC90 1078
Rubbra	ADVENT CANTATA & 4 MEDIEVAL LATIN LYRICS CLS/Hickox	Chandos CHAN9847
Rutter	CHRISTMAS DAY IN THE MORNING CLS/Rutter	Collegium COLCD 121
Scarlatti	DIXIT DOMINUS 11 The English Concert/Pinnock	Archiv 423 386-2AH
Schoenberg	SERENADE Op. 24 The 20th Century Classics Ensemble/Craft	Koch 37263-2
Schubert	COMPLETE LIEDER Volume 2 Graham Johnson	Hyperion CDJ 33032
Schubert	SCHUBERT EDITION SAMPLER Various Artists	HYPE HYP200
Schubert	LIEDER VOL 32 Johnson	Hyperion CDJ 33032
Schubert	LIEDER, VOL. 33 London Schubert Chorale/Layton	Hyperion CDJ 33033
Schütz	SYMPHONIAE SACRAE Purcell Quartet/Richard Boothby	Chandos CHAN0566/7
Stanford	BIBLE SONGS Ian Watson	Chandos/ T CHAN9548
Stanford	STABAT MATER BBC Phil/Hickox	Chandos/T CHAN9548
Stanford	SONGS VOL. 1 Clifford Benson – Piano	Hyperion CDA 67123
Stanford	SONGS VOL. 2 Clifford Benson – Piano	Hyperion CDA 67124
R Strauss	DEUTSCHE MOTETTE London Schutz Choir/Norrington	Decca 430 365-2DM
Stravinsky	ABRAHAM & ISAAC The Orchestra of St. Luke’s/Robert Craft	Music Masters 01612-67158-2
Tavener	BEYOND THE VEIL	NVC Arts 39842391-3
Tavener	MARY OF EGYPT – ZOSSIMA Aldeburgh Festival Ensemble/Lionel Friend	Collins 7023-2
Telemann	CHORAL MUSIC Kleine Konzert/H. Max	Capriccio 10 315
Telemann	DIE TAGESZEITEN Das Kleine Konzert/Max	Capriccio 10 319
J Theile	ST MATTHEW PASSION London Baroque/Charles Medlam	Harmonia Mundi HMA90 1159
Thwaites	RIDE, RIDE	No details
Vaughan Williams	SIR JOHN IN LOVE Meredith Davies	No details
Vaughan Williams	SIR JOHN IN LOVE Northern Sinfonia/Hickox	Chandos CHAN9928(2).
Weckmann	SACRED CONCERTOS Purcell Quartet	Chandos CHAN0646
SS Wesley	ANTHEMS York Cathedral Choir/Moore	Guild GMCD 7201
Vivaldi	GLORIA Collegium Musicum 90/Hickox	Chandos CHAN0518
Vivaldi	VESPERS La Grande Ecurie/Malgoire	Astrée E 8520
Various	CLASSIC SEASONS-WINTER Various Artists	HMV HMVS 74244-2
Various	ENGLISH ORCHESTRAL SONGS: If there were Dreams to Sell City of London Sinfonia/Hickox	Chandos CHAN 8743
Various	HARK! HARK! THE LARK Music for Shakespeare’s Company The Parley of Instruments/Peter Holman	Hyperion CDA 66836
Various	LA PROCESSION: Eighty Years of French Song Graham Johnson	Hyperion CDA 66248
Various	WAR'S EMBERS: Songs by Browne, Butterworth, Farrar, Finzi, Gurney, Kelly Clifford Benson	Hyperion CDA 66261/2
Various	RUTTER – CAROLS FROM CLARE Cambridge Clare College Choir/Rutter	HMV HMV572340-2
Various	CAROLS FROM KINGS King's College Choir/D Willcocks	HMV HMV572341-2
Various	HISTORY OF BAROQUE MUSIC – SECULAR MUSIC Various Artists	HARM HMX22958001/5
Various	OPERA BAROQUE – HIGHLIGHTS Concerto Vocale/Réné Jacobs	Harmonia Mundi HMX290 605/7
Various	RELAX WITH BAROQUE Various Artists	ERAT 8753-81631-2
Various	MUSIC OF THE CHAPELS ROYAL Monteverdi Ch/EBS/J E Gardiner	ERAT 0927443522
Various	OLDE ENGLISH MADRIGALS Cambridge Singers/Rutter	American Grammaphone AG 500.
Various	CAROLS FROM KING'S King's College Choir/Willcocks	EMI CDM 7631792
Various	THE VERSATILITY OF THE SCHOLARS The Scholars	Unicorn UNS 254
		March 2007

Concerts

“serene baritone” (St Matthew Passion, Brooklyn Academy of Music) – New York Times

“le baryton Stephen Varcoe s’est toutefois attire ma sympathie, ne serait-ce que parce qu’il était le seul a chanter de mémoire. Sa voix, tellement souple, pouvait parfois acquérir une incroyable légèreté.” (Bach’s St Matthew Passion, Les Violons du Roy) – Le Soleil, Québec

“It was Stephen Varcoe’s impressive-sounding bass-baritone that really stood out among the rest.” (Bach’s St Matthew Passion, NZ Chamber Orchestra)– New Zealand Herald

“Varcoe’s singing as Apollo was brave and touching.” (Handel’s Apollo and Daphne, St Paul Chamber Orchestra) – St Paul Pioneer Press, Minnesota

“Best of all was Stephen Varcoe’s hell-and-fire Pluto, who sang as if he meant every word, without deviating from impeccable period manners.” (Peri’s Euridice, Drottningholm) – Opera

“Varcoe demonstrated a fine sensitivity for the shape of the songs, and his superbly expressive voice, tuned to every nuance of so many rich numbers, projected strongly into every corner of St Johns.” (Percy Grainger Recital, St Johns, Smith Square) – British Music Society News

‘Stephen Varcoe – surely one of this country’s finest executants of English song’ – Jeremy Dibble (from his biography of Stanford)

A few years ago, Stephen was invited to become a professor at the Royal College of Music in London, where he now leads classes in Performance Technique and in English Song, as well as individual coaching, and is becoming well known for his inspiring lectures and masterclasses. He has given series of seminars at the University of York on Performance, teaches at the Summer Schools in Dartington and Hereford, and gives masterclasses at festivals, colleges and schools around the country. Earlier this year he travelled to Vancouver for a week of English Song classes, and he has just returned from Jerusalem where he was involved in giving a week of Baroque music classes.

Singing Workshops with Stephen Varcoe at Ansells Farm

As an extension of Stephen’s teaching practice, he now runs a series of song workshops at his house in Essex. In a relaxed, informal setting he brings together his own mission to introduce every singer to the joys of the song repertoire and his flair for encouraging inexperienced or less confident solo singers. In recent months workshops have covered such topics as English & American Song, Schumann and Brahms, La France Profonde, Celebrating Mozart and Schubert, Wolf & Brahms. The group (a maximum of eight participants) is drawn from students of singing, enthusiastic amateurs, choral singers, teachers or semi-professionals, of all ages and abilities. The only qualifications necessary are a love of song and an enthusiasm for sharing ideas and interpretations in a friendly, positive atmosphere.

We have been running our very successful Song Days here for several years now, and underpinning the whole venture is the fact that Stephen is a world-famous baritone, whose expertise and experience in the field of song is second to none – he has made over 150 recordings, and is widely acknowledged to be one of the foremost recitalists of the age.

Forthcoming Workshops include :-

April 12 2008 German Lieder

June 8 2008 Special day for Essex University Choir

Future dates are still to be decided, but will be posted in due course.

If you are interested in taking part in the workshops, would like more information, or if you would like us to add you to the mailing list for future classes, please contact us: stephen@varcoe.com or 01787 269570

The Song Day begins at 10 am, and ends at 5 pm or later, with breaks for coffee, tea and homemade cakes; at lunchtime everyone enjoys a two-course meal (with wine) prepared by Melinda – this is all included in the price. The winning combination of stimulating teaching and learning, delicious food and glorious music in a beautiful rural setting seems to work miracles! Each performer gets at least two chances to sing, (perhaps more, depending on numbers and time), and during the course of the day people invariably make new friends, catch up with old ones, find fresh inspiration and gain greater confidence to explore repertoire which might have been unfamiliar or daunting.

An experienced accompanist is provided, or singers may bring their own for an extra charge (£25). The cost is £95, with a deposit of £20 payable in advance (non-returnable unless the organisers have to cancel).

Here are a few comments taken either from our guestbook for the days, or from an article in Classical Music magazine in 2004 about the classes:-

“Above all, it was Stephen’s relaxed, engaging manner and good humour, coupled with a passion for sharing his skills and knowledge, that sent me away on a high, buzzing with new ideas.”

“A thousand thanks for a magnificent day of musical joy and instruction”

“…a wonderful day of Kunst and Genüss!”

“The atmosphere was as relaxed as it could possibly be in a performance context…the transformation of one absolute beginner in particular was inspiring.”

“Absolutely wonderful – and so is the food and drink!”

“Comments can be expressed more directly than in a larger setting, and it’s easier for individual singers to get feedback over things that concern them.”

“ I’ve learnt more about song in these classes with Stephen than in all the previous thirty years.”

“The consistency of the chocolate brownies merits special mention!”…

Stephen is well known for the imaginative nature of his recitals, and he has often been called upon to create programmes for special occasions or with specific themes in mind. As a regular performer with Graham Johnson’s Songmakers Almanac, he saw at first hand how the traditional form of the song recital could be greatly enhanced and even superseded by giving it a thematic focus.

When a concert promoter asks for a programme, it is often part of a celebration of some kind, in which case the subject-matter is already defined. Recent commemorations have been the Mozart bicentenary, the Schumann sesquicentenary and the fiftieth anniversary of Finzi’s death, for all of which Stephen has created special programmes. For example, the Mozart included works by his son, Franz Xaver, and his British friends and colleagues, Linley, Attwood and Storace.

A programme for a symposium on Stanford included works by his friends and his pupils, offering scope for a wide variety of musical styles. Another on music in nineteenth century Britain not only explored little-known works by Wesley, Pinto, Sterndale Bennett and other English composers, but included works in English by foreign composers such as Mendelssohn and Gounod. Yet another was created to complement an exhibition of the work of Picabia, the Dadaist painter. This included the music of Durey, Debussy, Ravel, Satie and Poulenc.

At the Royal College of Music on March 12th 2008 he helped devise a student programme for the celebration of the work of Sir William Sterndale Bennett. The songs presented were examples of the English Romantic school interspersed with the great German Romantics, Schumann and Mendelssohn.

One of the features of Stephen’s recitals is the relaxed and informal quality of his presentation, which always involves spoken introductions, and often includes readings of poetry or prose-extracts. A particularly powerful example is his programme of songs and poems written during wartime. For the Thomas Hardy Society he has now created three different programmes based on Hardy’s writings, involving the poetry, the music which he knew and the music which his poetry has inspired. Similarly, for celebrations of the life of A E Housman he devised a sequence of songs and readings from A Shropshire Lad. For the Peter Warlock Society he has given a lecture recital on the life of the composer, illustrated by his songs.

Apart from concerts involving the modern piano, Stephen has worked for many years with Peter Seymour on the fortepiano, and together they have explored the early Lieder repertoire of Zelter, Reichardt and Zumsteeg, and given many performances of Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin and Winterreise. One of their recurring themes is the development of the Lied from its early beginnings to the works of Schubert and Schumann, and they have devised programmes of comparative settings of Goethe, of ballad settings, and of dialogue songs.

STEPHEN VARCOE is one of Britain’s most distinguished baritones, especially acclaimed in the field of Baroque music and in the song repertoire. He has made about 150 recordings, collaborating with John Eliot Gardiner for Philips, Erato and DG Archiv on discs of Purcell, Handel and Bach, and has joined Richard Hickox for numerous releases of Haydn, Beethoven, Vaughan Williams, Grainger and Britten on Chandos. His musically fruitful relationship with Hyperion Records has produced many fine recital discs, from the romantic and sensuous French songs of Hahn, Chabrier and Fauré with Graham Johnson to the quintessentially English Finzi, Gurney, Parry, Stanford and Armstrong Gibbs with Clifford Benson and Roger Vignoles. With Graham Johnson, Stephen was the second artist after Dame Janet Baker to be invited to interpret Schubert for the celebrated complete Hyperion series. His versatility also encompasses recordings of twentieth century works by Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Nigel Osborne, Thea Musgrave and John Tavener.

On the concert platform, in a career spanning more than three decades, Stephen has appeared with orchestras all over the world. Highlights include Stravinsky’s Abraham and Isaac in New York with Robert Craft, Stravinsky’s Threni in London with Rozhdestvensky, Holst’s Savitri in Amsterdam with Hickox, C P E Bach’s Die Israeliten in der Wüste in Cologne with Christie, Bach’s Mass in B Minor in Italy with Rifkin, Haydn’s Creation in Lisbon with Brüggen, Handel’s Apollo and Daphne in Versailles with Minkowski, the centenary performance of Fauré’s Requiem in Paris with Tortelier, and the fortieth anniversary performance of Britten’s War Requiem in Coventry with Cleobury. He has regularly taken part in the BBC Proms and international festivals, and appeared in recital with some of our finest accompanists, particularly Graham Johnson, Iain Burnside, Julius Drake and Roger Vignoles.

His operatic appearances include Haydn’s L’Infedelta Delusa in Antwerp with Kuijken, Debussy’s Fall Of The House Of Usher in Lisbon and London, Tavener’s Mary Of Egypt in Snape, Rameau’s Les Boréades in Aix and Lyon with John Eliot Gardiner, Peri’s Euridice for Drottningholm, and Monteverdi’s Orfeo in Japan. His repertoire also includes Death in Holst’s Savitri, Demetrius in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Salieri in Rimsky Korsakov’s Mozart & Salieri. In 2006 he was heard in a BBC broadcast of Malcolm Arnold’s hitherto unperformed opera The Dancing Master. Stephen was in the original cast for Jonathan Miller’s ground-breaking staging of Bach’s St Matthew Passion and its subsequent television production, and revivals in the USA.