Wednesday’s lunchtime recital in the RBA featured Simone Osborne; currently appearing as Norina in Don Pasquale, and pianist Rachael Kerr.  It was a well curated selection of songs apparently, at least partially, inspired by sleep deprivation singer and pianist both have small children!).  There were three sets of four songs.  One in each set was by a Canadian composer backed up by two others that were thematically related.

So the first set featured birds.  Godfrey Ridout’s arrangement of She’s Like The Swallow was supported by Viardot’s Grands oiseaux blancs and Grieg’s “Ein Schwan” from Sex digte af Henrik Ibsen.  It worked.  The Ridout got a reasonably folk song like treatment, the Viardot was dramatic and the Grieg was just beautiful.  A good start. Continue reading →