We're delighted to announce the release of Vol. 2 of Stephen Dodgson's solo songs: The Distances Between. The album includes 17 first recordings and marks the 10th anniversary of his death, performed by Ailish Tynan, Katie Bray, Marcus Farnsworth, Christopher Glynn, Mark Eden and Ian Wilson.
25-year-old Singaporean guitarist Kevin Loh has won second prize at the renowned Guitar Foundation of America's 'International Concert Artist Competition' in New York with a superb performance including Stephen Dodgson's Fantasy Divisions.
Mark Eden's guitar provides the recording’s ear-catching opening with the Four Poems of John Clare [sung by] James Gilchrist... Elsewhere, pianist Christopher Glynn adroitly elicits the diverse character of each song, emphatic and unruly in Irishry, yet inscrutably supporting soprano Ailish Tynan’s sublimely ethereal ‘Psyche’ from Tideways... Roderick Williams is typically captivating in the storytelling of the Bush Ballads... These approachable, sometimes quirky vignettes could hardly have better advocates.
An excellent aspect of this disc is that we have a wide variety of star-studded voices adding interest throughout with the guitar (for which Dodgson was brilliant at writing) and recorder. In all there are 26 songs here and that includes five cycles and these are, attractively, divided between the voices. The texts stretch from light verse through Gerard Manley Hopkins and Walter de la Mare. In the accompanying essays, Dodgson’s style and language is neatly summed up as ‘a tonal-based inspiration and a natural creative communicative desire’, although Matthew-Walker does add that Dodgson clearly has his own personal voice. And, one must agree with him that Dodgson has been ‘unfairly neglected’.
The album’s title is owed to Stephen Dodgson, eight delightful vignettes, beautifully crafted, which fall on grateful ears. Throughout, Emma Abbate and Julian Perkins play as one, with dedication and shared pleasure.
Captured in beguilingly immediate sound that creates the impression of Emma Abbate and Julian Perkins playing in your living room, this is a recording I have already returned to several times simply for the pleasure of hearing two players at the top of their game.
We're delighted to announce that guitarist Sungbin Cho has won second prize at the Royal Academy of Music's concerto competition with Stephen Dodgson's Guitar Concerto No. 1. Cho also won the International Guitar Competition in October with a programme which featured Dodgson's Partita No. 1.
Announcing the release of 'Tournament for Twenty Fingers', a collection of piano duets performed by Julian Perkins and Emma Abbate, featuring the Dodgson suite by the same name and his Sonata for piano duet alongside works by Berkeley, Arnell and Lambert.
One of London’s newest young professional choirs Inchant and harpist Anwen Mai Thomas, led by conductor Emma Warren, host a relaxed evening of Christmas music, both traditional and contemporary. The event, which includes Stephen Dodgson’s two upper-voice carols Falan-Tiding and The Running Carol (from his ‘Christmas Collection’), takes place in the atmospheric Grade-II listed Belsize Community Library🌀 Over the course of the evening, we’ll hear three 20-25 minute sets of festive music: 🎶 Set 1: a capella choral music with Inchant 🎶 Set 2: harp music with Anwen Mai Thomas 🎶 Set 3: Inchant and Anwen join forces to perform ‘A Ceremony of Carols’ by Benjamin[...]
Award-winning choir Sonoro and special guest Andy Hamilton – one of Britain’s best-loved performers and writers – present an evening celebrating the joy of Christmas with festive choral favourites, new settings of traditional texts, and beautiful arrangements of familiar melodies. Featuring Stephen Dodgson’s beautiful miniature Winter for upper voices and music by Rutter, Howells, McDowall, Lauridsen, and the world premiere of Winter Nights by Michael Higgins. Carol Barnett Angelus ad virginam William Mathias A babe is born arr. John Rutter Wexford Carol Herbert Howells A spotless Rose Cecilia McDowall There is no rose Martin Bussey Balulalow Adolphus Hailstork The Lamb arr. Robert Lucas Pearsall In dulci jubilo Michael Higgins Winter nights (world premiere) Bob Chilcott Nova! nova! arr. Suzzie Vango Gaudete Stephen Dodgson Winter Morten Lauridsen O magnum[...]
Award-winning choir Pegasus and a stellar group of instrumentalists and soloists open the Barnes Music Festival with a concert that pairs Bach and Stephen Dodgson’s Magnificats, ahead of Dodgson’s centenary on 17th March, conducted by Festival Director James Day. Tickets will be available via the Barnes Music Festival website.
The versatile chamber ensemble Karolos perform Stephen Dodgson’s String Trio no. 2 at the Conway Hall alongside a selection of works by Bach, Schubert and Mozart. Renowned for the energy and vitality of their concerts as well as their extraordinary musicianship, they perform a broad repertoire ranging from classics to recent commissions. The group previously recorded the trio along with a number of Dodgson works to great acclaim. “a dynamic, virtuoso chamber collective of first-rate players.” Gramophone Magazine Programme Schubert – String Trio in B flat D471 Bach – arr. Mackenzie: Sinfonia No.3 in C minor BWV788 Bach – arr. Mackenzie: Sinfonia[...]
Tenor James Gilchrist and guitarist Mark Eden will be performing a selection of Stephen Dodgson guitar songs at St Mary’s Church in Arkengarthdale at 4pm on Wednesday 29 May 2024 as part of the Swaledale Festival. The programme will also include music by Dowland, Schubert and Alec Roth. James Gilchrist is a leading interpreter of Oratorio and Song, especially the German and English repertoire. He is internationally renowned as one of the evangelists in Bach’s passions and oratorios and maintains an ongoing interest in older music, regularly performing as a soloist with viol consorts, lutenists and period pianos. Mark Eden is better known as one[...]
The Magnard Ensemble and a cast of soloists perform Stephen Dodgson’s short chamber opera Cadilly alongside his Gipsy Songs at Conway Hall. Cadilly, based on one of the Tales from the Fens by W. H. Barrett, tells the story of a beautiful woman and ‘willing maid’ who is loved by the scholars, their tutors and the townsmen alike but jailed for ‘immoral behaviour’! A vibrant and comic piece. Programme Dodgson – Sonata Gipps – The Lady of the Lambs Vaughan Williams – Ten Blake Songs for Soprano and Oboe Arnold – Three Shanties Dodgson – Cadilly Pre-concert talk – 5.30pm Concert – 6.30pm Tickets will be available via the[...]