"He loved the words he sang, and he sang them with his honest, easy sound"

Tenor Jean-Philippe Lazure then sang Ivor Gurney's Ludlow and Teme, seven (mostly different) songs from A Shropshire Lad. These were more speech-like, with moments of lush singing tightly interwoven; they seemed tricky to sing, and it was obvious that Jean-Philippe had done his detail work. He loved the words he sang, and he sang them with his honest, easy sound. In "Ludlow Fair" he had some great big singing, with an obstinate and virile sound that added to the list of things that surprise me about Jean-Philippe. There were two poems that were set by both Butterworth and Gurney, and when we heard them in Ludlow and Teme, it served as a reminder for the listeners how two composers can set a text so differently.

Published: Oct 10, 2015

Jenna Douglas: Schmopera - In Review: A Shropshire Lad