Henry Howell
Review source: Music Teacher Magazine Vol. 11 No.1
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| PHILLIP WILCHER : A WINTER NIGHT - reviewed by Henry Howell | ||||||||
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| The poem, which Phillip Wilcher has set, is by William Barnes, the dialect poet, who had a great influence on the writings of Gerard Manley Hopkins, and Thomas Hardy, to name but two. Almost invariably, Mr. Wilcher includes the words, set in proper stanza form at the end of his songs, making life easy for the singer, who has merely to peruse the poem to have some idea of the interpretation required. This song, set Allegro agitato, conveys the message of the poem via the medium of the piano part rather than the vocal line. There is a two-bar rhythmic phrase, repeated, in the left hand, with the unmistakable sound of church bells in the right hand, while the vocal line, written mainly in semiquavers, needs to be sung legato, not only to contrast with the piano melodies, but also for clarity of enunciation. While the pianist needs to practice a great deal before working with the singer, the piano part is not really difficult being sequential, and once mastered, lies nicely under the hand. Well written. Henry Howell Review source: Music Teacher Magazine Vol. 11 No.1 |
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