A lecture given at Gainsborough’s House, Sudbury

Here’s a talk I gave a few years ago,:

The Linley sisters and 18th century vocal culture.

Thomas Linley was the eldest son of William, a carpenter, who came with his family to Bath when Thomas was 11 years old. Here he was apprenticed to the organist of Bath Abbey, and as early as the age of 20 he had established himself as a musician and music teacher. By this time, the 1750s, Bath had become the most fashionable place in the country after London, largely as a result of Beau Nash’s efforts early in the century. Society arrived, and Society needed entertaining. Music was at the core of this entertainment, both in the Pump Room and in the Assembly Rooms, and by becoming Director of Public Concerts in the Assembly Rooms Linley was at the core of Bath’s musical life.

Over a period of 18 years Mary Linley, Thomas’s wife, had twelve children, of whom eight survived childhood. Elizabeth was the eldest, born in 1754. Next came Thomas junior, then Mary junior, Sam, Maria, Ozias, Jane and William. The older children were all taught music by their father. Elizabeth was singing in concerts by the age of 12; Thomas played a violin concerto in Bristol aged only 7; Mary was singing by the age of 9; Sam appeared on stage in Bristol dancing a hornpipe at the age of 6; but Maria was a late starter, making her singing debut aged 15. When the family moved to London in 1776, the three youngest children aged 11, 8 and 5 were left with their grandparents in Bath, and they missed out on the intensive musical training which Thomas had given their older siblings.

Today there are musically gifted children at the Purcell or Menuhin Schools, or Chethams, who give their first concerto performances at 10 or so, or who win the BBC Young Musician of the Year at 15, say. Thomas Linley junior was a true child prodigy, like his exact contemporary and friend Mozart. But singers don’t get that kind of exposure so early: the occasional boy treble like Aled Jones, or the young Charlotte Church, maybe – and pop singers, of course. Today a classical singing career doesn’t usually start until after several years at music college – aged 25, perhaps. If the Linley girls’ experience was normal for the time, what has changed since then?

We have a description from the late eighteenth century of how a young singer was taught: Catherine Stephens, one of the most famous English singers of the early nineteenth century, studied with Gesualdo Lanza from the age of 13, and at 18 she had already performed to ‘great applause’ in Bath, Bristol and Southampton, the kind of places where Linley was exhibiting his children forty years before. Lanza wrote:

‘Miss Stephens went through, with me, all the principles of vocal music: not only all the gradations of Solfeggio, but through a whole course of vocal exercises, designed to give facility of execution in modulations, cadenzas, and every style of ornament. Under my direction, she also studied nearly 200 pieces of music, English and Italian, selected from the best English and Italian operas, and from oratorios.’

This, remember, when a modern child would be at school: 200 songs and arias is an enormous number, and unthinkable today. The early singing debuts of Elizabeth, Mary and Maria, were therefore not so unusual for the time.

Elizabeth Linley, known as Eliza, was the eldest and the most celebrated of the singing sisters. Her father’s teaching underlined the importance of simplicity and sincerity, and the composer and singer Charles Dibdin wrote that he ‘taught nothing more than correct expression and unaffected pronunciation of words, stressed as in speech’, and described Eliza as one of the ‘finest singers of her day because she was taught on this principle.’ It must also be said that she was very good looking, and her father, recognising her ability to attract audiences for a variety of reasons, organised concerts for her throughout the West Country. She usually sang arias from Handel oratorios and some other things like Arne’s Shakespeare settings, but never anything unbecomingly frivolous. William Jackson, the organist of Exeter Cathedral described her thus:

‘Her voice was remarkably sweet and her scale just and perfect; from the lowest to the highest note the tone was the same quality. She had a great flexibility of throat, and whether the passage was slow or rapid the intervals were always precisely in tune. Her genius and sense gave a consequence to her performance which no fool with the voice of an angel could attain; and to those extraordinary qualifications was added a most beautiful person, expressive of the soul within.’

And all this when she was not yet seventeen.

I’m struck by the remark about the tone being of the same quality from bottom to top. This was by no means the case with all singers then, many of whom had quite clear changes of timbre between the different registers, even if they did make those changes as seamless as possible. They also didn’t lower the larynx and modify the vowel sounds at the top as modern opera singers do, and we must assume that Eliza didn’t do that either. But they were all encouraged to sing without forcing the tone. Mancini wrote in 1774: ‘be absolutely clear, that forcing the voice is always one of the greatest errors’ even when trying to be heard above the audience.

There’s a famous incident concerning Eliza at this time which could have been lifted straight out of a Hollywood movie. On an evening in 1770 in Salisbury Cathedral, an audience came to hear a recital of sacred music, including arias from The Messiah sung by an up-and-coming young singer. On came Eliza, waif-like and beautiful, to sing ‘Rejoice greatly’. The voice wasn’t especially powerful, but such was its clarity that it could be heard throughout the building. Its sweet tone was matched by the radiant expression of her face. Then something special happened, which was reported in the local paper:

‘While Miss Linley was singing ‘I know that my Redeemer liveth’, a bullfinch which had found its way into the cathedral was struck by the inimitable sweetness and harmonious simplicity of her manner of singing, and mistaking it for a feathered chorister of the woods, it perched on the gallery over her head, and accompanied her with the musical warblings of its little throat through a great part of the song.’

This description of Eliza’s voice as having inimitable sweetness and harmonious simplicity, coupled with Jackson’s comments about the sweetness and purity of her singing, prompted me to talk to the ex-headmaster of the Yehudi Menuhin School, Nicolas Chisholm, about the training of young musicians and young singers especially. He has observed that the age of puberty is earlier than it used to be, and many cathedral choir schools are unable to keep their boy choristers singing in the choir up to the traditional age of thirteen. But it’s perhaps not generally realised that girls’ voices change at puberty as well, and maybe the ethereally pure quality of Eliza’s voice could be partly explained by her being less physically developed. Set against this, it must be said that there are many young professional sopranos working today who have come through University and College choirs, and who specialise in performing in ensembles such as The Sixteen, where pure and mostly vibrato-free singing is the norm. My feeling is that it was the father’s training of these girls which led to their particular style of singing, not their physical development.

Thomas Linley senior had been apprenticed to the organist of Bath Abbey, Thomas Chilcot: likewise his own children became his apprentices. As a result, all Eliza’s income came to him. So when she and her twelve-year-old sister Mary were billed to appear at the Three Choirs Festival in 1770 the fee of £100 was his. Incidentally, that’s more than £10,000 today. But out of these fees came some pretty hefty expenses. With his fairly lowly beginnings as a carpenter’s son, Thomas would have known the importance of looking like a gentleman, and of his daughters looking like ladies. Multiply the following examples by at least 100 for today’s cost: silk, £4 a yard; shoes, £15 without the buckles; lace collars £40.

Mary Linley’s professional career had begun in 1769, a year before her Three Choirs debut, when she was 11 years old. This was as a comic actress in Man and Wife in Covent Garden. George Colman, playwright and manager, wanted to sign her for a season, but her father refused – he didn’t want theatrical careers for his children, but musical ones. He thought that actresses were no better than whores. Besides, he could make more money this way. So Mary became a singer specialising in oratorios, and her voice was much praised, as second only to Eliza. Gainsborough painted members of the Linley family several times, amongst them being his famous portrait of Eliza and Mary begun in 1771.

The Three Choirs Festival had been founded in about 1715, as a week of liturgical music in one of the cathedrals of Gloucester, Worcester and Hereford. At first only church music was allowed in the cathedrals themselves, and even Handel’s Messiah (a regular feature from 1757) had to be performed in secular venues. Otherwise the music of Purcell and Handel dominated the programmes, with occasional works by other contemporary composers, including Thomas Linley junior, whose cantata ‘Let God Arise’ was performed in 1773 (when he was 17 years old).

This world of concerts inhabited by Eliza, Mary and Maria was in many ways quite separate from the world of theatre music, though there were singers who performed in both, and Catherine Stephens whom I mentioned earlier, was one of those. This separation remains largely true today: my own career was mostly in concerts and recordings, with only perhaps one opera a year. And within the theatre world of the time there were those on the one hand who performed Italian opera, and on the other, those who performed English opera.

Pier Francesco Tosi, who wrote an important treatise on singing in 1723, was a famous castrato singer who arrived in London in 1693, bringing Italian music to a new audience. The music of Purcell, who had died only the previous year, would dominate in England for a long time yet, but little by little the Italians gained ground. One of the essential differences between English taste in drama or opera and Italian taste was that the dialogue in English was spoken, with music used as an interlude or as an accompaniment to a dance. In the Italian stile recitativo the text was sung throughout, with measured airs when required. John Blow’s Venus & Adonis and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, both fully sung English operas, were a new departure. The first Italianate opera staged in London was Arsinoe, in 1705, and it was a translation of an Italian text into English with music by an Englishman, Thomas Clayton, who had been to Italy for a while to study the Italian style. Here’s a comment by Colley Cibber, the poet laureate, written in 1740:

‘The Italian Opera began first to steal into England; but in as rude a disguise, and unlike itself, as possible, in a lame, hobbling translation, into our own language, with false quantities, or metre out of measure, to its original notes, sung by our own unskilful voices, with graces misapplied to almost every sentiment, and with action, lifeless and unmeaning, through every character.’

Incidentally, Clayton himself frankly apologised that he could only get English singers. This shows that as early as 1705, there was a general understanding that Italian singers were better than English ones.

If Arsinoe was judged to be artistically dreadful (though quite successful commercially – not the last time that’s happened), in 1706 Giovanni Bononcini’s opera Camilla had an entirely different reception. It was put on in Drury Lane translated into English, with one curious exception. John Hawkins wrote that ‘to accommodate the singers of our own country, many of the recitatives and airs were translated into English,’ but since the role of Turnus was performed by an Italian singer Valentino Urbani, his lines were kept in Italian, thus resulting in a production in two languages. Hawkins added, ‘notwithstanding the glaring absurdity of so motley a performance, it is said that the opera never met with so good a reception abroad as it did here.’ This kind of hybrid performance became more common as more Italians came to London and shared the stage with English-speakers.

In Hamburg in the 1720s Telemann’s dual-language operas became standard fare, but for another reason. Opera generally was regarded as an Italian phenomenon there, and the cantabile line of the aria was considered to be best served by being in that language. But the story, carried by the recitative, was delivered in German so that the audience could understand what was going on. This seems to me rather a sensible idea. And remember that the Germans were used to sung recitative in the many cantatas that Kappelmeisters like J S Bach had composed.

In Vienna, German-language opera was the Singspiel – spoken plays with sung arias. In 1778 the Emperor Joseph II took steps to promote all-sung German opera by re-founding the Burgtheater. The result was rather like the English model, with pieces usually translated and bodged together from French and Italian originals; but there were exceptions. When the young Mozart arrived from Salzburg in 1781 he made himself known by writing Die Entführung aus dem Serail, a proper and entirely original opera. But the Burgtheater experiment didn’t last much longer, and Mozart returned to Italian opera, at least until his last stage work, The Magic Flute, which is in fact a Singspiel with spoken text.

After Camilla came another fully-English opera Rosamond, again by Thomas Clayton, and this one was savaged even more harshly than Arsinoe had been. One critic claimed that it was ‘no better than a confused Chaos of Musick, where there is ev’rything, and nothing…’ and that its only merit was that it was short.

Joseph Addison was the librettist for Rosamond, and was largely spared the opprobrium which the opera received. He became eventually an outspoken critic of the whole genre of Italian opera in English:

‘Our authors would often make words of their own, which were entirely foreign to the meaning of the passages they pretended to translate… thus the famous song in Camilla, ‘Barbara si t’intendo,’ ‘Barbarous woman, yes, I know your meaning,’ which expresses the resentments of an angry lover, was translated into the English lamentation, ‘Frail are a lover’s hopes,’ etc. And it was pleasant enough to see the most refined persons of the British nation dying away and languishing to notes that were filled with a spirit of rage and indignation.’

‘I have known the word and pursued through the whole gamut, have been entertained with many a melodious the, and have heard the most beautiful graces, quavers, and divisions bestowed upon then, for, and from, to the eternal honour of our English particles.’

It obviously became clear that the best solution was to have the entire opera in Italian. Besides, Italian operatic heroes, lovers and emperors were usually sung by castrati, and there were no English singers of that kind. The public seemed happy enough to listen to something they didn’t understand, and moreover they felt that the Italian language sounded best for singing anyway.

Gradually Italian opera took over, and English was relegated to a second-class singing language, with English singers also being regarded as second-class. This is an attitude which persisted and even exists to a certain extent today. Students at our conservatoires often prefer to sing in Italian rather than their native language because they claim to find it more grateful vocally. I entirely repudiate this idea, and ask how anyone can truly communicate from the heart in anything but their own language. But it is certainly true that the great operatic repertoire until well into the twentieth century was all foreign.

The problem wasn’t only found in England. In Germany and Austria too opera was thought of as an Italian art-form for much the same reasons. In the eighteenth century the majority of Mozart’s operas and all of Haydn’s were in Italian. As late as the 1850s Wagner was complaining that his German singers couldn’t sing their own language because they had all been trained in the Italian manner.

One of the most significant events of early eighteenth century London was the arrival in 1710 of Handel, whose Rinaldo was an immediate and massive success. The great castrato Nicolo Grimaldi had arrived in 1707, and all seemed to be well. But Grimaldi left in 1712, and because of a dearth of good Italian singers no new Italian operas were written between then and 1720. To counter this, the Royal Academy of Music was founded in 1719 specifically to promote Italian opera, and its first success was Handel’s Radamisto at the King’s Theatre. The even greater castrato Senesino settled in London, as did the soprano Margherita Durastani. The part of Radamisto, the hero, was written for her, and it seems that Handel took the eminently practical line that if he didn’t have a castrato available he would give the male lead to a woman.

There was a notorious rivalry during the 1720s between two sopranos; Faustina Bordoni and Francesca Cuzzoni. John Hawkins wrote this about them:

‘The town no sooner became sensible of the perfections which each possessed, than they began to compare them in their own minds, and endeavour to determine to whom of the two the greatest tribute of theatrical applause was due. Some ladies of the first quality entered very deeply into the merits of this competition; a numerous party engaged to support Cuzzoni, and another not less formidable associated on the side of Faustina. Thus encouraged, the behaviour of the rivals to each other was attended with all the circumstances of malevolence that jealousy, hatred, and malice could suggest; private slander and public abuse were deemed weapons too innoxious in this warfare – blows were made use of in the prosecution of it, and, shame to tell, the two Signoras fought.’

Shenanigans like this were a gift to satirists and parodists, and in 1728 The Beggar’s Opera had its first performance. English ballad operas were already popular, consisting of new words to well-known tunes interspersed with spoken dialogue. John Gay’s Beggar’s Opera skewered the Italians in no uncertain terms, and he has The Beggar deliver these lines at the beginning:

‘I have introduced the similes that are in your celebrated Operas: the Swallow, the Moth, the Bee, the Ship, the Flower, etc. Besides, I have a prison-scene which the ladies always reckon charmingly pathetic. As to the parts, I have observed such a nice impartiality to our ladies, that it is impossible for either of them to take offence. I hope I may be forgiven, that I have not made my Opera throughout unnatural, like those in vogue; for I have no recitative.’

The replacement of Italian heroes and kings by whores, pickpockets and other low-lifes, the deliberate shoe-horning of the traditional Italian happy ending in spite of the horrors that have gone before, all served to drive home the satire. Here was a kind of opera which ordinary people could relate to, rather than the mostly upper-class clientele of the Italians.

Historians have often cited The Beggar’s Opera as the reason why the Royal Academy failed, and why Italian opera lost its treasured status, but it appears that the main factor was a disagreement between Handel and the castrato Senesino. Handel asked the Academy to sack the singer, but when they refused because he was so popular, Handel resigned and the whole thing collapsed.

What of English singers of the period? Cecilia Young, born 1712, was described by Burney as having ‘a good natural voice and a fine shake, and had been so well taught that her singing was infinitely superior to that of any other English woman of her time.’ She met Handel in 1734 and worked with him for ten years. She also married Thomas Arne, an extremely important figure in the music of London, who was official composer at Vauxhall Gardens. You probably know how significant the Pleasure Gardens were in providing musical entertainment in the capital throughout the eighteenth century and well into the nineteenth. It’s rather satisfying to realise that the Chelsea Flower Show is held on the site of one of the other grand Pleasure Gardens, Ranelagh.

Another celebrated singer was John Beard, born in 1716, who also sang for Handel and Arne. Handel’s tenor roles of Samson, Judas Maccabeus and Jephtha were written for him, at a time when castrati would normally have taken the leading heroic parts. Susannah Maria Cibber, born 1714, sister of Thomas Arne, was a contralto who apparently had a sweet, expressive and agile voice, but led a scandalous life for a time, living in a ménage a trois. Again, Handel wrote roles for her, including The Messiah, but eventually she changed career to become a dramatic actress, one of the highest-paid in London. James Bartleman, born 1769, was a bass who specialised in concert singing, and had what a critic described as a cello-like voice, whose richness and equality of tone resulted in part from his peculiarities of pronunciation – I’d love to know what that sounded like! Sarah Harrop, born 1758, later Mrs Bates, had great success as a singer of sacred music and of Purcell’s songs. And there is a famous portrait of her by Angelica Kauffman.

I must mention Anna Storace (known as Nancy), born in London in 1765, taught first by her father, then by Sacchini and Rauzzini. She made her Three Choirs debut at the age of 11, but soon afterwards went with the family to Italy and subsequently to Vienna in 1783. She sang Rosina in Paisiello’s The Barber of Seville, and became a great favourite of the public and of the Emperor, who apparently wanted her for his mistress. Perhaps in order to facilitate this, he banished her husband, a much older man whom she married disastrously at 18. She was short and plump, so not suited to serious roles but specialised in comic ones. Mozart wrote the part of Susanna for her in his Marriage of Figaro, while she was still only 20. She returned to London in 1787, sang for a time in the Italian operas at the King’s Theatre before joining Drury Lane where her brother Stephen composed many of the stage works alongside Thomas Linley senior. Here she carried on specialising in comic and lower-class roles opposite John Bannister, a bass who was first and foremost an actor, but was ‘quite capable of holding a tune if it wasn’t too demanding’! The upper-class roles would be taken by two other well-known singers: Mrs Crouch, who had been a pupil of Linley, and Michael Kelly, a tenor of international fame.

And what of the Linley sisters?

Mary at the age of 22 married Richard Tickell, at which point she gave up her singing career. She died of TB in 1787 at the age of 29.

Maria’s promising career also ended early, with her death in 1784 aged 21.

Eliza, the most extravagantly gifted of the girls, married the playwright and politician Robert Brinsley Sheridan when she was 19. He forbade her, as his wife, from singing professionally, and she only subsequently appeared in special subscription concerts for friends and grand patrons. Her story is altogether fascinating, and I heartily recommend Alan Chedzoy’s biography of her, Sheridan’s Nightingale.

There are so many threads to the story of singing in England in the eighteenth century, and I’ve only been able to give a brief sketch of some of the issues of the time. But although there are many parallels with what we experience today, there’s one thing I don’t think we’d put up with any more: husbands ordering their young wives not to sing.

Sources:

Black, Clementina. The Linleys of Bath, London: Martin Secker, 1911

Bor, Margot & Clelland, Lamond. Still the Lark: A biography of Elizabeth Linley, London: Merlin Press, 1962

Burney, Charles. A general history of music, London: 1776-89

Chedzoy, Alan. Sheridan’s Nightingale, the story of Elizabeth Linley, London: Allison & Busby, 1997

Cibber, Colley. An Apology for the Life of Colley Cibber, London: 1740

Girdham, Jane. English opera in late eighteenth-century London, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1997

Hawkins, John. A general history of the science and practice of music, London: 1776

Ivey, Donald. Song: Anatomy, Imagery and Styles, New York: MacMillan, 1970

Kinder, Kaylyn. Eighteenth-century reception of Italian opera in London. University of Louisville, 2013

Mancini, Giambattista. Pensieri e riflessioni pratiche sopra il canto figurato, Vienna: 1774

Potter, John, ed. The Cambridge Companion to Singing, Cambridge: CUP, 2000

Toft, Robert. Heart to heart: Expressive Singing in England 1780-1830, Oxford: OUP, 2000

Tosi, Pier Francesco. Observations on the Florid song, trans. Mr Galliard, ed. Michael Pilkington. London: Stainer & Bell, 1987

More on Vancouver Song Institute

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.

September workshop at Ansells

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.

Writing

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

CD Reviews

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]

Discography

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 22Grabmusik – 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 GIOCONDASINGER

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 TEMPESTISMERON

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

Press Quotes

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)

Teaching

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!”…

    Recitals & Lectures

    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

    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.