Mary Bevan, soprano
Nicky Spence, tenor,
Joseph Middleton, piano
Sunday 16th May
7.00pm
St James' Church, Chipping Campden
Doors open at 6.15pm
The performance will end at approx. 8.40pm
'A Most Marvellous Party'
Coward: Medley
Coward: Parisian Pierrot from London Calling!
Poulenc: Hôtel from Banalités
Rorem: For Poulenc
Coward: Mad About the Boy
Messager: De-ci, de-là from Véronique
Satie: Gnossienne No. 1
Coward: World weary from This Year of Grace
Coward: Twentieth Century Blues from Cavalcade
Coward: Any Little Fish
Rorem: Now sleeps the crimson petal
Quilter: Now sleeps the crimson petal Op. 3 No. 2
Coward: Something To Do With Spring
Gershwin: The Man I Love
Coward: If Love Were All from Bitter Sweet
Lehmann: Love, if you knew the light
Britten: When you're feeling like expressing your affection from The Red Cockatoo & other songs
Coward: Mrs Worthington
Coward: The Party's over Now
(All arrangements by Stuart Calvert)
A Most Marvellous Party is a programme inspired by the songs of Noël Coward and devised by (and featuring) Nicky Spence, Mary Bevan and Joseph Middleton. The party is an imaginary one, hosted by Coward and attended by friends, lovers, contemporaries, and a few people who have been invited with a dash of poetic licence. Joseph writes that 'the programme shows Coward to be a superb artist, capable of turning his hand to many different styles. As well as humour and froth, there is also plenty of spice and grit.' Expect appearances from Poulenc (whom Coward knew), Rorem (they were lovers), Weill and Satie; a trip to America via Rachmaninov and a set featuring Britten and Walton. Coward was at the premiere of Facade and composed an outrageous parody of it which apparently upset Sitwell, but amused Walton that has Coward demonstrating that he and Walton perhaps share far more than many would suspect. Liza Lehmann appears (even though she's invited as a ghost) and Stravinsky (since he invited Coward to collaborate on a project in 1931) is represented by a little solo piano waltz and, next to it, there is a solo piano number by Gershwin as Coward gave the London premiere of Rhapsody in Blue. Who knew?!
Tickets Tickets £45 | £40 | £35 | £30 | £15
Students £5
Box office opening dates for May Festival
10th November for Patrons
17th November for Gold Friends
24th November for Silver Friends
1st December for General Public