Welcome!

After a busy Summer, singing the role of Aeneas in Errolyn Wallen’s new opera Dido’s Ghost at the Barbican London, Buxton International Festival and Edinburgh International Festival, I started the new season with two performances of “A View from the Villa” with Iain Burnside, Susan Bickley and Victoria Newlyn at the Rye Festival and Lammermuir Festival. It’s a programme based on the music by Wagner, it tells a light hearted account of the relationship between Richard Wagner and his patrons the Wesendoncks. I play Otto, the wealthy silk merchant who bank rolled many of Wagner’s grand ideas.

After that I sang again at the Lammermuir Festival and the Perth Concert Hall singing a programme of wonderful Monteverdi with my colleagues in the Dunedin Consort and players. This was followed by a performance of Haydn’s Creation at the London Barbican Centre with Laurence Cummings and the Academy of Ancient Music. It was such a treat to sing with larger forces again after such a long time away from it all.

This was followed by a filmed and live performance of Handel’s Samson with Harry Bicket and the English Concert for the London Handel Festival. Keep an eye out for the film being released. It had such a wonderful cast and it was an honour to sing in Handel’s Church, St George’s Hannover Square.

I then performed Bach’s B Minor Mass at the King’s Place. London, followed by another concert with the English Concert, this time, singing Purcell and Handel with Kristian Bezuidenhout at the Wigmore Hall. This was recorded for BBC Radio Three, so can be heard on the Iplayer App.

Later this Autumn, I will be singing Bach’s Christmas Oratorio at St Alban’s Cathedral, and several performances of Messiah in many cities across Europe and the UK. I will sing with AAM, Tenebrae, English Chamber Orchestra, BBC NOW, RNSO and Music of the Baroque in Chicago. Other venues include Snape Maltings, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Brauschweig, Winchester Cathedral and the Cadogan Hall.

I will also perform Paul McCreesh’s English version of Haydn’s Creation at York Minster in the Gabrieli Consort’s and Players “Re-Creation” project. This involves many children and local schools and choirs.

The Spring is filled with performances of Bach’s Passions in Quebec, Montreal, Carnegie Hall NYC, and London’s Barbican Centre. I have a Brahm’s Requiem in Cologne, several Creation’s in Boston Symphony Hall and a Summer of performances of Verdi’s Otello for Grange Park Opera in the role of Lodovico. I look forward to a performance of RV Williams Sea Symphony at the Cadogan Hall and Dvorak Requiem at next year’s Three Choirs Festival Hereford.

As you can see, I won’t be sat around twiddling my thumbs! I am so grateful that promoters and Orchestras are now making firmer plans after such a devastating time for the Arts due to Covid 19.

We just hope we can fulfil these performances, keep safe and try to look ahead with confidence.

It seemed to me that the few times we were able to go ahead with carefully planned live concerts with good sized audiences, that much joy was to be had on both the stage and in the hall. Long may this continue!

With thanks to my agents at Rayfield Allied, Nicholas Maw, Katie Smart, Ben Rayfield and now Nicki Wenham. They have kept positive throughout this difficult period, and I am thankful for that.

Please keep a look out for another recording that was released recently. It was a wonderful programme with the King’s Consort of Birthday Odes for Queen Mary by Henry Purcell. On the Vivat label (number 122), you’ll find some of Purcell’s finest melodies and harmonies sung with a fine team of players and singers. Arias with trumpet solos feature, featuring the outstanding Neil Brough. Please check it out!