theBarn Hosts The English Serenata This Sunday
Posted Tuesday 30th September 2014This Sunday evening, theBarn plays host to the English Serenata as they present A Shakespeare Garland for Jeffery Dench. Here is what they write about the evening.
English Serenata
presents
A Shakespeare Garland for Jeffery Dench
Lois Murray soprano, Katy Stephens, Sam Alexander (RSC), Oliver Dench and the voice of Jeffery Dench
the Barn, Bidford-on-Avon - 7.30 pm, Sunday 5 October 2014
What better programme to celebrate the life of English Serenata’s much loved patron Jeffery
Dench than A Shakespeare Garland, which features music from 400 years of Shakespeare
productions in Stratford-upon-Avon? Jeffery’s career in the Royal Shakespeare Company, of
which he was an Associate Artist, spanned forty years, from 1963 (Wars of the Roses) to
2006 (Merry Wives, the Musical), by which time he had become a “Stratford treasure”.
A Shakespeare Garland was Jeffery’s first performance with English Serenata, recorded by the
BBC at the Bromsgrove Festival. He was a firm favourite with members of the English
Serenata Youth Choir, for whom he donned reindeer antlers each Christmas, on tour and in
Bidford. Jeffery’s last gift to us was a moving performance of The Journey of the Magi (TS Eliot)
and two (or nearly two!) sparkling renditions of Betjeman’s Christmas, in December, 2013, a
few weeks before he died.
On October 5th A Shakespeare Garland for Jeffery Dench will be presented by RSC actors Sam
Alexander and Katy Stephens, who will include special memories contributed by Jeffery’s
family and colleagues. Soprano Lois Murray is soloist. Sam, Katy and Lois have all joined
Jeffery in concerts with English Serenata. We are also pleased to welcome Jeffery’s grandson,
Oliver Dench.
Sweet Swan of Avon, our CD of the songs and incidental music, realised from scores in the
Shakespeare Birthplace Library, or kindly loaned by Ariel Music, continues to be distributed
worldwide. Almost all the music was first written for performance in Stratford-upon-Avon.
The large instrumental ensemble includes harp, harpsichord, wind, cello and all manner of
percussion instruments.
Tickets are £15 (£5 u-21s) from
