Review: Marcus Farnsworth, at Tardebigge Church

Jul 2 2010 By Christopher Morley

Already into its seventh year, Jennie McGregor-Smith’s “Celebrating English Song” summer series has been well blessed with vocal talent, and not least from emerging youngsters.

Sunday offered a perfect example, with prize-winning baritone Marcus Farnsworth bringing a rich, varied programme of works which somehow seemed totally unified in mood.

Perhaps the vast experience of pianist Iain Burnside, voicelessly singing and breathing along as he accompanied his gifted soloist, added an extra measure to the huge success of this golden afternoon.

The colourings and intelligent feeling for text from this duo made the opening account of Butterworth’s Six Songs from a Shropshire Lad very special, never mind how many times we have heard these heartbreaking gems.

Three Songs by Mark-Anthony Turnage, largely cat-eulogising (I knew I liked this composer), were given with affectionate insight, not least the unaccompanied Last Words to a Dumb Friend by Thomas Hardy.

More Hardy was to follow, but the “official” premiere of Martin Bussey’s Garden Songs intervened, fascinating in its sources, and engagingly composed, Farnsworth arching his lines with supreme breath-control and shaping of words.

Then came Hardy with a vengeance, ten of his poems vehicles for such probing settings in Gerald Finzi’s Earth and Air and Rain. None of these poems is a barrel of laughs, but Finzi’s response is sensitive and well-attuned – as were these performances.

But thanks, Marcus and Iain, for the delicious little encore which cheered us all up: Britten’s Little Ploughboy, skirling from the piano and charming from this remarkable vocalist.

Rating: 5/5