A Twitcher’s Delight: Roderick Williams and Andrew West at Milton Court

A serious birdwatcher would take exception to being called a twitcher.  Whereas the former is happy to wait patiently and passively for avian visitors to visit their locale, twitchers chase…

Voices Unwrapped: Roderick Williams and members of the Aurora Orchestra at Kings Place

“Love, meet me in the green glen,Beside the tall elm-tree,Where the sweetbriar smells so sweet agen.”  The poet-speaker’s call to his beloved to join him, at sunset, in the green…

Mirages: Roderick Williams and Roger Vignoles explore the ‘art’ of French song

The repertory of French mélodie must comprise many thousands of songs.  The genre, which developed in the early 1800s and reached full maturity in the second half of the century, was…

Sir William Walton: a centenary Façade from SOMM and the Orchestra of the Swan

The critics condemned the ‘entertainment’ as a ridiculous hoax.  Noel Coward stormed out.  After the show, one disgruntled elderly lady was rumoured to be lying in wait for the ‘soloist’…

Arcangelo perform Bach’s St Matthew Passion at the BBC Proms

When Arcangelo performed Handel’s Theodora on the penultimate evening of the 2018 Proms season, I wondered whether a small period-instrument ensemble and singers could surmount the challenges posed by the…

Seven Ages: a magical and consoling journey through life’s hopes, fears and humility

I hate to fall back on cliché, but this really was a ‘dream-team’ recital at Middle Temple Hall, in which tenor Mark Padmore, baritone Roderick Williams and pianist Julius Drake…

Roderick Williams joins Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé

Roderick Williams has had a busy pandemic.  The last couple of weeks alone have seen the baritone joining with VOCES8 for a concert in their Live from London – Christmas…

Schubert in the spotlight: Roderick Williams and ‘Momentum’ artists perform Schwanengesang

Led by Artistic Director Anthony Friend, Bandstand Chamber Festival, which presented a memorable series of concerts in the bandstand at Battersea Park this Summer, has returned with a Winter series.…

Finzi Dies Natalis, Britten, Vaughan Williams, Wigmore Hall

The Nash Ensemble’s series at the Wigmore Hall, “Dreamer of Dreams” continued its survey of British music in the first half of the 20th century with an intriguing programme. Many underlying themes, and thoughtful juxtapositions.