As we celebrate the birth one hundred years ago of Benjamin Britten it was good to get an insight into his life in the thirties before he and Peter Pears went off to the United States in 1939. But in the United States also from 1939 was the foremost romantic poet W H Auden. It is said Auden was in love with Britten - but Britten had Pears. Instead Britten put to music many of Auden's lyrics.
Many of the Britten/Auden cabaret pieces had deep meanings of love, romance and all that goes with it - and this has been a fascination for Conor Mitchell. He and Mark Ravenhill have got together and created more in the same tenor.
We were fortunate to hear all the songs sung by Jamie McDermott, of the cult band The Irrepressibles. Openly gay in fact and feature he acted the part of a gay man of the thirties to the tee, and enjoyed putting on and taking off his hat and his jacket as need be. Peter, the Old Fettesian, on the piano played his secondary role with aplomb, adding enormously to the concert's enjoyment with informative quips.
As an openly gay man for twenty five years I loved every moment even though some of the deep meaning of the lyrics were new to me. I do so hope the largely younger audience gained as much pleasure.
Event: Tuesday 20 August 2013 at 7.pm