You are warmly invited to join us for this special event next week, hosted by the Birmingham Conservatoire in collaboration with the Institute of Creative and Critical Writing, School of English:
'Break, Blowe, Burn and Make Me New': John Donne and Benjamin Britten - Words into Music
Venue:
Recital Hall, Birmingham Conservatoire
Price:
£6.50 (£4 concessions)
Date:
18 Feb 2014 (7:30pm)
Booking Information
Tickets available on the door
James Geer tenor
Ronald Woodley piano
Kate Kennedy, David Roberts and Gregory Leadbetter speakers
Ronald Woodley piano
Kate Kennedy, David Roberts and Gregory Leadbetter speakers
Benjamin Britten The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, Op.35
Benjamin Britten’s settings of nine of the Holy Sonnets of John Donne are some of the most intense, thoughtful, and at times disturbing of all his songs. They were composed in the summer of 1945 in the immediate aftermath of visits to the newly liberated concentration camps while he was on tour in Germany with Yehudi Menuhin. This evening’s event in music, words and images will explore these profound works from the perspectives of poetry, interpretation, musical setting, and the composer’s life, with contributions from Britten literary specialist Dr Kate Kennedy (Girton College, Cambridge), and Professor David Roberts and Dr Gregory Leadbetter from the School of English.
The settings will be performed by James Geer, former Britten-Pears School Young Artist, with Professor Ronald Woodley from the Conservatoire’s Research Department.
We very much hope to see you there.
______________________
Dr Gregory Leadbetter
Director, Institute of Creative and Critical Writing
Director, MA in Writing
School of English
Birmingham City University
Birmingham B42 2SU
