Feargal Mostyn-Williams

Feargal Mostyn-Williams is the first countertenor to have trained at the National Opera Studio and we are very excited that he is coming to sing for KCC on Saturday 1^st October ahead of his upcoming concert in Tokyo. He is passionate about extending the appeal and repertoire of the countertenor voice, and will be performing a narrative series of songs based on the myth of Orpheus covering themes of Nature, Love, Loss and Death. Works include songs by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Finzi, Howells and Schumann. He will be accompanied by Satoshi Kubo on piano.

‘Orpheus with his Lute’ – The Power of Music and Nature

King Henry – English Folksong *

King David – Herbert Howells

Orpheus with his Lute – Ralph Vaughan Williams

Fairest Isle – Henry Purcell

Linden Lea – Ralph Vaughan Williams

‘Orpheus and Eurydice’ – The Ecstasy of Love

Annie Laurie – Scottish Folksong *

Let Beauty Awake – Ralph Vaughan Williams

Silent Noon – Ralph Vaughan Williams

Since We Loved – Gerald Finzi

Phydilé – Henri Duparc

– Interval –

‘Orpheus and Eurydice’ – The Pain of Loss

O Waly Waly – Folksong

The Sigh – Gerald Finzi

The Salley Gardens – Benjamin Britten OR Rebecca Clarke

Now O Now – John Dowland

‘The Death of Orpheus’ – Precessing Memories and Finding Peace

She moved through the fair – Folksong

Lamento – Henri Duparc

Wehmut – Robert Schumann

Come Heavy Sleep – John Dowland *

An Evening Hymn – Henry Purcell *

Stories in Song

I became interested in creating narratives from songs after watching a show called ‘King Size’. In an hour of song of varying genres, it presented a day in the life of a couple in a hotel room.

For this recital, I wanted to create something similar around the myths of Orpheus, a

character whose romantic and artistic sensibilities I have been always drawn to.

I hope that the variety of song will go some way to show the countertenor voice beyond its perceived conventions – a personal mission.

The four sections depict the three main Orphic myths;

– Orpheus’ music as the music of Nature, both animate and inanimate

~ Orpheus and Eurydice, Love

~ Orpheus and Eurydice, Loss

~ Orpheus’ Death