Tuesday, 1 July 2025

Challenging conventional ideas of vocal performance: Contemporary Vocal Sünds from Eleanor Westbrook & Oskar McCarthy

Challenging conventional ideas of vocal performance: Contemporary Vocal Sünds from Eleanor Westbrook & Oskar McCarthy

Two contemporary singers are joining forces to present a recital of experimental vocal music. Eleanor Westbrook and Oskar McCarthy, along with pianist Ben Smith are presenting Contemporary Vocal Sünds at The Uplands, St Leonards-on-Sea (20 July) and Lauderdale House, Highgate (22 July) with playful and radical approach to voice in works from the 20th and 21st century, challenging conventional ideas of vocal performance.

The recital features composers such as John Cage, Iannis Xenakis and Georges Aperghis, alongside pieces by Errollyn Wallen, Judith WeirCheryl Frances-Hoad and Liz Dilnot Johnson, plus the premiere of an electronic reworking of Jean-Philippe Rameau by Nico Bentley. 

Eleanor Westbrook is an interdisciplinary performer working at the intersection of opera, physical theatre, clowning, and experimental music. She is artistic director of TUFT, producing large-scale performance events in Hastings Castle and Caves, and is currently developing a multidisciplinary production of Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus. Oskar McCarthy has premiered operas by Avner Dorman, Robert Reid Allan and Bertie Baigent, and commissioned new work including Laura Bowler’s Lines, Letters and Disinformation for baritone and tape, performed at Snape Maltings and Café OTO. A VOICEBOX alumnus [see my article], he trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and recently worked with the Royal Opera House’s Opera Lab, part of the Jette Parker Programme.

Further information about the St Leonards-on-Sea performance, and the Lauderdale House performance.  

Robert & Clara: Stephan Loges & Jocelyn Freeman at SongEasel

Stephan Loges at a SongEasel recital on 22 June 2025 (Photo: Kate Kantur)
Stephan Loges at a SongEasel recital on 22 June 2025
(Photo: Kate Kantur)

Robert & Clara: songs by Clara Schumann & Robert Schumann including Liederkreis, Op. 39; Stephan Loges, Jocelyn Freeman; SongEasel at St Matthew's Church
Reviewed 27 June 2025

An evening of intimate lieder in Elephant & Castle, intertwining songs by Robert & Clara Schumann including his complete Eichendorff Liederkreis

For its latest season, Jocelyn Freeman's SongEasel has been filling South East London with song, bringing distinguished artists such as Helen Charlston, Sholto Kynoch, Juliane Banse and James Gilchrist to give recitals in local venues.

On Friday 27 June 2025 it was the turn of St Matthew's Church, Elephant and Castle, a modern hall-church that is home to a bilingual (Spanish and English-speaking) Church of England congregation. Bass-baritone Stephan Loges (SongEasel's artist in residence for this season) was joined at the piano by Jocelyn Freeman. The focus of these concerts has been Robert and Clara Schumann, including performing Robert's major song-cycles from 1840 and all of Clara's songs. 

For this recital, the first half alternated Clara and Robert's songs, picking up on the themes present in Robert Schumann's Eichendorff Liederkreis which formed the second part of the evening.

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