William Smith – tenor
Virginie Rodde – piano

The Programme

William Smith – tenor

Virginie Rodde – piano

Five Elizabethan Songs (1912)
1. Orpheus
2. Tears
3. Under the greenwood tree
4. Sleep
5. Spring

Cinq Mélodies ‘de Venise’ (1912), Op 58
1. Mandoline
2. En gourdine
3. Green
4. À Clymène
5. C’est l’extase

Cinq Mélodies populaires grecques (1904)
1. Chanson de la mariée
2. Là-bas, vers l’église
3. Quel galant m’est comparable
4. Chanson des cueilleuses de lentisques
5. Tout gai!

The Artists

William Smith trained at the Birmingham Conservatoire and continued his studies in Paris. William is now a freelance tenor based in London training with David Pollard. William specialises in art song and is the founder and a director of ‘The Marches Songbook’ – an organisation that forms creative partnerships between Poets and Composers of the English and Welsh border counties to create new songs. The work of ‘The Marches Songbook’ builds on the heritage of local composers such as the Gloucestershire composer Ivor Gurney (featured today) who was not only a composer but also a respected poet. The ‘Songbook’ seeks to evolve the canon and support contemporary authentic creative voices of this historically and artistically important borderland region.

William’s previous operatic roles include El Dancaire in Bizet’s ‘Carmen’, Belmonte in Mozart’s ‘Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail’, Mozart in Rimsky-Korsakov’s ‘Mozart and Salieri’ and Tom Rakewell in ‘The Rake’s Progress’ by Stravinsky. Recent oratorio roles include the tenor solos in Elgar’s ‘Dream of Gerontius’, Vaughan William’s ‘Hodie’ and Handel’s ‘Jephtha’.

Virginie Rodde is a pianist, vocal coach and author. Virginie’s dual professional interests in both music and literature have led her to develop an interest in the interpretation of French Melodie. Virginie is a singing teacher and vocal coach at the Conservatoire Dutilleux in Paris and Le jeune opera de France. Aside from her coaching work Virginie performs regularly on the recital platform in Paris and in duo partnerships.

William and Virginie are pleased to present today’s recital of English and French art songs.

www.williamsmithtenor.com
www.themarchessongbook.co.uk