I would like to thank Diana Roberts of the Royal College of Music for inviting me, and my fellow ‘Women in Music’ students, to perform at the Royal Academy of Arts last Friday. The event entitled “In Tune with Feminist Futures” was supported by Dasha Shenkman and we were all thrilled to see how well attended the recital was.
My friend Jane had traveled from Manchester to London for the weekend and it was lovely to spend time with her before the recital and to see her in the audience. After the event, there was a drinks reception and we got the opportunity to mingle with the audience and spend time talking with them.
The recital was held in The Reynolds Room in the Royal Academy of Arts which housed some amazing paintings, we were not allowed to take pictures in the room itself but if you are visiting London I would recommend adding the Royal Academy of Art to your places to visit.
We were asked to select a work by one of the artists from the Royal Academy to be displayed whilst we performed. I chose a picture by Sonia Lawson “Night in a Private Garden” which she painted in 2010. Sonia Lawson was born in 1934 and has had a prolific career, she was elected to the Royal Academy of Arts in 1991 and at 84 continues to paint in her studios in Bedfordshire and North Yorkshire.
The songs that I chose for the evening were “In Meines Vaters Garden” and “Laue Sommernacht” by Alma Mahler whose father, Emil Jakob Schindler was a famous Austrian Landscape painter who greatly influenced her work.
A big thank you to Leanne Singh-Levett for accompanying me, it was lovely to work with her again for this recital having performed with her the previous day for my “Women In Music” lecture-recital.
Thank you to everyone who joined with me to celebrate my blogging anniversary last week, it was lovely to read all your comments. I will be drawing up a list of everyone who liked or comment on the post during the coming week and then select 3 people at random to receive a signed copy of my “Haugtussa” album.
I would also like to share with you the news that I will be performing the role of ‘Maria Bertram’ in Waterperry Opera Festival’s production of Jonathan Dove’s opera ‘Mansfield Park’. The performances will take place at Waterperry House, Oxford on the 18th and 19th August 2018. I am really looking forward to meeting and working with the rest of the cast and taking this production to this picturesque venue.
Third time lucky, Charlotte… I was getting worried there.
Is my blog playing up?
I was hoping to merge my Kaija Saariaho slides with my speech slides this weekend but I just had a great weekend at my parents and celebrating Mother’s Day with Mum today. On the way back to London I’d downloaded ‘Mansfield Park’ the audio book by Jane Austin to listen to, it’s a great story, and I found it easier to listen than try to read on the train.
Best wishes
Charlotte
What a fabulous experience! Your gown is simply beautiful. I believe you are not only setting a new standard for the world of opera but women in music in general, Brava!
Thank you, Annette that’s so kind of you.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Great event, great stars-singers, great Charlotte! Cheers! 🙂 🙂 🙂
I’m glad you commented Maria 😀 I don’t know what’s wrong tonight with my post but it keeps throwing me out and refusing to load? I don’t know if it doesn’t like a link I’ve used. I’ll have to check it out tomorrow.
All my best
Charlotte
I guess it may be the wordpress site. It happens with me from time to time too.
Sounds like a great show, combining music and visual art. And I guess with Alma Mahler, in ways she had a foot in both worlds as well.
Very cool about the role in the Waterperry Opera Festival. Congratulations! 🙂
I often draw pictures to remember the words of songs, the painting was most appropriate with the text both Alma Mahler songs.
I’ve been listening to the ‘Mansfield Park’ audiobook on the train yesterday and tube today, I’m very excited to be a part of the team.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Want to hear you’re Haugtussa album 🙂 place copy on ebay. If not pick me.
Joe if you have Spotify or similar you can hear it on there too. I’m going to allocate each like and comment a number then get a number randomiser on the computer to pick three numbers so fingers crossed 🙂
Best wishes
Charlotte
Once, twice three times a lady.
My blog went crazy last night hehe.
It kept saying it wasn’t loading then it turns out it did, several times!
Best wishes
Charlotte
On the plus side at least you made sure we got to see it. Better safe than sorry as it was a good post. 👍
Sounds like a great show, Charlotte.
I just love an opportunity to perform. It was a fabulous venue and great audience.
Best wishes
Charlotte
😀
You go girl!!! Congrats on the getting to sing with the other Woman in Music. Looks like your August is going to be very busy too. Take care and enjoy the journey, Darlene
I’ve got a diary to fill Darlene :). The journey’s about to take some twists and turns but that makes life a bit more exciting doesn’t it?
Best wishes
Charlotte
Have a wonderful time with the show. I am sure you will be fabulous! Hugs xx
Thank you, Janice, I wish you could see it, it is going to be an immersive experience for the audience, which will be interesting after doing this with the babies.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I wish I could too! Sigh! Best of luck! you will shine!! Hugs 🤗 xx
Hi, Charlotte. Exciting News.
Thank you, Eric.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Dear Charlotte,
Congrats to you and Sonia Lawson and the rest of the gang for your wonderful singing career. Charlotte I love to hear you sing and you are as beautiful as your voice sounds.
Thank you, Rev. Tim. Sonia Lawson looks remarkably like my Grandma Hoather did, I selected her work before I saw her photo and then did a double take.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Very interested to hear that you did choose to use the music of Alma Mahler. Your post a while back introduced me to her story. Hope you enjoy the Mansfield Park show, it sounds so interesting too.
I’m quite fond of the two songs I learnt and the picture fitted both stories wonderfully.
The Mansfield Park opera is going to be an immersive experience for the audience so they feel a part of it as though a real-life adventure so that’s exciting.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Well done Charlotte. Very excited to hear about your role with with Waterperry Opera, congratulations 😘
Thank you Gill, you’ll have to persuade Terry to visit Oxford that week 🙂
Best wishes
Charlotte
Glad the Women in Music went so well. We heard some Alma Mahler songs on Radio 3 the other day. Very excited about the Waterperry Opera Festival. I have put the dates in our diary in the hope that we can make it.
The Midsummer Night’s Dream at the RCM on Saturday was mesmerising.
Fingers crossed you get to see the Waterperry Opera Festival I’m really excited to be involved.
I’m happy you got to the RCM to see The Midsummer Night’s Dream my friends worked hard on the contemporary performance.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Looks wonderful!
Thank you, my friend. Lovely to hear from you x
Best wishes
Charlotte
Onwards and upwards in your musical career? Would you also be looking to get into acting?
My dream job would be Disney Princess singer in a modern movie or modern Disney opera singer story 😀. I took my Drama A level at college put on a great ‘Epic theatre’ scene with two of the boys in my class about a nuclear explosion and its impact on real people, of all things! The audience was so shocked they were all quiet for several minutes at the end. Got a great response though a bit of a dark story unexpected of me. I like to sing, dance, and act so …. 😄 who knows what the future holds because I don’t.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Charlotte, that’s wonderful! Now that I work in Oxford, I’m sure I’ll be able to attend the opera–I love Jane Austen, and the thought of your singing combined with her stories is just too good to miss! I’ll just make sure we don’t arrange our summer holiday at a conflicting time :-). Best of luck!
Best regards,
Cate
That would be brilliant Cate, it’s going to be an immersive opera experience so the audience feels like they’re participating in a real-life adventure, which sounds like great fun.
Best wishes
Charlotte
How exciting! I love the immersive idea–wish that was more common in the arts today, like it was in Shakespeare’s time. But I think we’re getting there!
Best regards,
Cate
Interesting and lovely blog, thanks a lot Charlotte for all the time you take for us !
Merci et meilleurs voeux de succès à Toi dear Miss Rainbow voice !
Merci Beaucoup Pascal. 🙂
Best wishes
Charlotte
You showed you had put thought into your performance by choosing a composer whose father was a painter. Good for you!! To even top that one – your Waterperry House performance will be on my birthday!!
Indeed I got to learn about Emil Jakob Schindler her father too. She became a great comparison for my modern composer study ‘Kaija Saariaho’ which I can’t wait to organise the Slides to share with you all, I had one set of slides for the audience with brief bullet points and pictures and quotations for the audience and another set of slides with my oral presentation.
It’s great you have a birthday in the same week as my Mum and Brother!
Best wishes
Charlotte
I must be prepared with more Cheers!! >-I >-I >-I
Congratulations Charlotte, on getting the part, really excited for you .xxx
A lovely post! You look spectacular in the group photo! Sonia Lawson is amazing. You must be very excited working towards your role as ‘Maria Bertram’. Lol! I’m excited!
I like the idea of choosing a painting as a backdrop while you sang at the Royal Academy. It is such a lovely building too! I am so pleased you have the part of Maria Bertram in Mansfield Park – congratulations!