The World In A Grain Of Sand

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Tenor Mark Padmore presents a personal, chronological survey of modern English art song

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

Ballad Lyric, Song

20220206

Around the turn of the 20th century, music in Britain underwent a kind of renaissance, mirrored perfectly in the developments of native songwriting. The popular drawing-room ballads of the Victorians began to make way to different musical aspirations. Composers looked to make settings of poetry in the English language that could stand alongside the world of the German lied and the great flowering of song from the likes of Schubert, Schumann and Wolf.

Tenor Mark Padmore reflects on the story of this renaissance in British song. Across three programmes, he charts a personal journey, beginning with the 19th-century ballad, through Somervell and Elgar right up to the present day. In the first programme, he looks at how this renaissance began to be achieved. He considers the work of the Georgians such as Quilter, Butterworth and Gurney, through to the period between the wars with the music of Ireland and Finzi; and features other, perhaps less familiar names too. Composers who set about establishing what is sometimes referred to as English art song.

The programme features recordings from some of the outstanding interpreters of this repertory.

Tenor Mark Padmore on the story of English song.

Resonances: 'a Time There Was'

20220213

A personal survey of the modern English art song from Elgar to Errollyn Wallen told by the tenor Mark Padmore. Today his story takes him to the mid-20th century and includes the work of John Ireland, Peter Warlock and Benjamin Britten, among others. The desire to shape something distinctive through musical settings of the English language required a creative and sympathetic response to the poetic text - and sometimes the clues to this could be found in the music of the past.

Mark Padmore looks at English song in the mid-20th century, including Warlock and Britten.

Shifting Sands

20220220

The story of English art song reaches the 21st century in this the last of the tenor Mark Padmore's personal reflections on its history and achievements. Mark focuses on some of those who have continued to find new inspiration in the genre in the nearly 50 years since the death of Benjamin Britten. The world of English art song has become disparate and diverse and the programme considers the impact of modernism in song settings of English language, and the impact of popular music.

Composers featured in today's programme include Betty Roe, Trevor Hold, Ian Venables, Richard Rodney Bennett, Peter Maxwell Davies, Lyell Cresswell, James MacMillan, Dilys Elwyn-Edwards, Harrison Birtwistle, Judith Bingham, Tansy Davies, Stuart McRae, Gordon Crosse, Peter Dickinson, Errollyn Wallen and Alec Roth.

Tenor Mark Padmore concludes his personal chronological survey of modern English art song.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
01	Ballad Lyric, Song	20220206	Around the turn of the 20th century, music in Britain underwent a kind of renaissance, mirrored perfectly in the developments of native songwriting. The popular drawing-room ballads of the Victorians began to make way to different musical aspirations. Composers looked to make settings of poetry in the English language that could stand alongside the world of the German lied and the great flowering of song from the likes of Schubert, Schumann and Wolf. Tenor Mark Padmore reflects on the story of this renaissance in British song. Across three programmes, he charts a personal journey, beginning with the 19th-century ballad, through Somervell and Elgar right up to the present day. In the first programme, he looks at how this renaissance began to be achieved. He considers the work of the Georgians such as Quilter, Butterworth and Gurney, through to the period between the wars with the music of Ireland and Finzi; and features other, perhaps less familiar names too. Composers who set about establishing what is sometimes referred to as English art song. The programme features recordings from some of the outstanding interpreters of this repertory. Tenor Mark Padmore on the story of English song.
02	Resonances: 'a Time There Was'	20220213	A personal survey of the modern English art song from Elgar to Errollyn Wallen told by the tenor Mark Padmore. Today his story takes him to the mid-20th century and includes the work of John Ireland, Peter Warlock and Benjamin Britten, among others. The desire to shape something distinctive through musical settings of the English language required a creative and sympathetic response to the poetic text - and sometimes the clues to this could be found in the music of the past. Mark Padmore looks at English song in the mid-20th century, including Warlock and Britten.
03	Shifting Sands	20220220	The story of English art song reaches the 21st century in this the last of the tenor Mark Padmore's personal reflections on its history and achievements. Mark focuses on some of those who have continued to find new inspiration in the genre in the nearly 50 years since the death of Benjamin Britten. The world of English art song has become disparate and diverse and the programme considers the impact of modernism in song settings of English language, and the impact of popular music. Composers featured in today's programme include Betty Roe, Trevor Hold, Ian Venables, Richard Rodney Bennett, Peter Maxwell Davies, Lyell Cresswell, James MacMillan, Dilys Elwyn-Edwards, Harrison Birtwistle, Judith Bingham, Tansy Davies, Stuart McRae, Gordon Crosse, Peter Dickinson, Errollyn Wallen and Alec Roth. Tenor Mark Padmore concludes his personal chronological survey of modern English art song.