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VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Bright is the ring of words

10/9/2020

1 Comment

 
By David Govertsen
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The music of Ralph Vaughan Williams has provided singers with a wealth of vocal repertoire, and for baritones his song cycle Songs of Travel surely holds pride of place.  Set to poetry of Robert Louis Stevenson, the cycle presents a traveler in a variety of settings; marching off into the countryside, reflecting on the beauty of nature, recalling happy days long past.

​‘Bright is the ring of words’ considers the legacy of an artist, affirming that poetry and song live on even ‘after the singer is dead’.  It is a fitting text for a performer of art song, a testament to the transcendent power of words and music.
We celebrate the many great artists of the past who still live on in the present day through their works, and we look to the artists of tomorrow who will continue to provide humanity with words that ring brightly. 

Recorded at our gala concert in November 2019, ‘Bright is the ring of words’ features frequent Fourth Coast collaborator and chairman of the board of directors Dana Brown on piano. 
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Author

Bass-baritone David Govertsen joined Fourth Coast Ensemble in 2017.  He has been active as a professional singer and educator for nearly twenty years, portraying a wide variety of opera’s low-voiced heroes, villains, and buffoons.  He discovered Schubert’s magical marriage of text and music as an undergraduate and has been hooked on art song ever since. 

1 Comment
Maricca Lutz
10/9/2020 12:14:55 pm

Beautifully written. Wonderful insights. Glad to see this blog particularly during these difficult times when performance groups are struggling. Looking forward to the next one.

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    Hello, and welcome to the blog!  We are Fourth Coast Ensemble, Chicago's classical vocal quartet.  Join a different member of our ensemble for insights into our favorite art songs, links to archival and new recordings, and reflections on why we value and continue to come back to this musical medium.  We proudly present, your #artsongfix!

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Fourth Coast Ensemble is supported in part by the generosity of Arts Work Fund at Chicago Community Trust, the Illinois Arts Council, and the Illinois Department of Commerce Community Development Fund.
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  • About
    • The Organization
    • Quartet & Staff Members
  • On Stage
    • Upcoming >
      • 2024-25 Season >
        • 2024 Holiday Soirée
        • WordSong Chicago: Woodwinds by Ami Kaye
        • 6th Annual Chicago songSLAM
    • Past Seasons >
      • 2023-24 Season >
        • Chicago Public Art in Song
        • 2023 Holiday Soirée
        • Shores of Song Festival >
          • From Schumann to Chicago
          • WordSong Chicago
          • Off the Bench: Songs from the Pianist Perspective
          • Fifth Annual songSLAM Chicago
        • End of Season Kabarett
      • 2022-23 Season >
        • 2022 Gala: Chicago Public Art in Song
        • Laughterreise: Liebeslieder Edition
        • Chicago songSLAM
        • Fine Folk
        • End of Season Potluck
      • 2021-22 Season >
        • A Brush With Our Time, world premiere
        • Laughterreise
        • Roaring Twenties
        • Chicago songSLAM
        • End of Season Talent Show
      • 2021 HD Season >
        • Soprano | Mezzo Duo
        • Tenor | Bass Duo
        • Quartet Remix
        • songSLAM
      • 2019-20 Season >
        • Songs of Fourth Coast
        • American Woman
        • Between the Lines
        • Four by Four
  • Blog
  • Support
    • Give
  • Contact
  • Shop