Samling Artist Programme in Masterclass
Marchmont House, Scottish Borders, 8/3/25
Leaders: Christopher Purves, Simon Lepper, James Garnon, Ella O’Neill, Samling Artist Staff Pianist
Samling Artists: Jessica Lawley soprano, Angelina Dorlin-Barlow mezzo-soprano, Lea Shaw mezzo-soprano, Matthias Daehling countertenor, Charles Cunliffe baritone, Joshua McCullough bass, George Ireland piano, Harry Rylance piano
On a beautiful spring day, a train journey and transfer through the Berwickshire countryside ends at the impressive drive to Marchmont House. The recently renovated mansion is the magnificent home for the Samling Institute’s week-long residency for young singers and accompanists, ending today in a public Masterclass in the Music Room.
The Samling Institute for Young Artists, based in Northumberland, is the charity responsible for the course. Artistic and Executive Director Karon Wright MBE says, “The eight Samling Artists have been taking time to reflect on their artistry and find new ways of communicating.” They’ve been tutored by experts in their own fields who are also inspiring teachers, Christopher Purves baritone, Simon Lepper, pianist, James Garnon actor, and Samling Artist Staff Pianist Ella O’Neill, who also lead the Masterclass today. The singers and pianists, from the UK and further afield, all in the early stages of their working lives, have been through a rigorous audition process. Lea Shaw from Colorado and educated in Scotland, and Aberdonian Joshua McCullough, also a graduate of the Royal Scottish Conservatoire, are among them.
Samling believes in educating these aspiring opera/Lieder singers and accompanists/repetiteurs in all aspects of stage craft, so a variety of perspectives is explored this afternoon. First up is Angelina Dorlin-Barlow, mezzo, accompanied by Ella O’Neill; she sings Idamante’s aria ‘Ah qual gelido orror…Il padre adorato’ from Mozart’s ‘Idomeneo’. Christopher Purves comments on the quality of her performance and how lucky he has been to work with such splendid musicians all week. Turning firstly to the accompanied recitative, “the bit that tells us what’s happening”, he encourages the singer to find the quieter passages of ‘orchestration’ to sing more reflectively. Idamante’s unexplained abandonment by his father is shocking but involves a range of emotions. He and Angelina experiment with different emphases on the many repetitions in the text to indicate desperation and love as well as frustration. An audience member comments later, “Even in 25 minutes you can see the journey the singer has gone on.”
Simon Lepper leads the next session with Jessica Lawley soprano and Harry Rylance. I became familiar with Simon’s work during several attendances at Cardiff Singer of the World, where he’s one of the two main accompanists, and it’s fascinating to hear his views on the relationship between singer and accompanist, the focus of this session. Debussy’s setting of the seven verses of Paul Verlaine’s ‘Chevaux de bois’ (wooden i.e. fairground horses) is fast with a pounding accompaniment, a challenge for singer and pianist. Simon Lepper speaks of the balance between the two musicians and suggest that pianists tend to be oversensitive – too quiet – and there are passages where they need to be prepared to take the spotlight on themselves, not out of vanity but to serve the music. First to illustrate the opposite tendency he gets Harry to ramp up the volume and play the introduction ”badly”. “Horrible!” says Jessica. The text should be as important to the accompanist as to the singer, and Simon Lepper urges the practice of speaking or mouthing along to the words – also a useful technique to combat nerves. It is crucial that the singer and the pianist bounce ideas off each other in rehearsal.
Countertenor Matthias Daehling introduces himself as a king and sings ‘Blessed be the Lord’ from Handel’s ‘Solomon’, accompanied by George Ireland. James Garnon tells us that he’s not interested in the lovely sounds but in Solomon’s motivation. Together singer, pianist and leader work out that Solomon is trying not to take credit for the temple he’s built – Solomon has to be humble and defer to God. “It’s the Hebrew God,“ says James Garnon – “he smites you!” But the pianist can boost the singer with supportive accompaniment – both are the servants of music and Handel. A complicated session with much food for thought.
Bolstered by our interval food - splendid home-made cakes, the audience returns for perhaps the most unusual work of the afternoon. Mezzo-soprano Lea Shaw sings Jonathan Dove’s ‘The Siren’, with words by Ursula Vaughan Williams, accompanied by George Ireland. I was bowled over by this song a week ago when Lea, an Associate Artist with Scottish Opera sang it at a performance for Scottish Opera Friends. The fast-moving story of a bizarre love affair - “falling in love can have monstrous consequences” say Lea in her introduction - makes tremendous demands on the voice, including loud repeated phrases in her higher register near the end, and at least as many on the pianist. Simon Lepper (whose version with Kitty Whateley you can find online) knows the work and its pitfalls well. He encourages George to blur the details to sound like the billowing of the sea , so that he can complement the singer. It’s a work that illustrates the differences between musicians on the piano and those using their own voice – the accompanist has a percussive instrument and the singer a fluid one. I would not have missed the chance to hear this piece again, but the 25 minutes went too quickly here – I would have loved to hear a discussion on Lea’s relationship with the “monstrous” lover, and her technique when she throws back her head in these high phrases near the end.
Bass Joshua McCullough also sings a contemporary piece, the Mad King’s aria from James MacMillan’s ‘Ines de Castro’. He’s accompanied by Ella O’Neill. Near the end the singer has to reach the bottom of his range to describe the place in the “deep canyon” – a passage which leader Christopher Purves enjoys so much that we hear it a number of times during the class. I’ve heard it said that bass voices develop young – and this seems to be true of Joshua – but they may have to wait until they can sing the big bass roles - though there have been youthful Sarastros and Osmins! There’s dialogue within the text and Christopher Purves asks how he can differentiate the other speaker – possibly by using a funny voice? Humour can have its place even in non-humorous works. He says he always advises the singer working on the meaning of a text to ask ”What else could it be?”. The funny voice gets a laugh, it’s mostly discarded but continues to influence the snarling of the last few words in the later versions. This is a warm and sympathetic session with both singer and leader enjoying the learning experience.
Belcore’s aria ‘Come paride vezzoso’ from Donizetti’s ‘L’elisir d’amore’ is baritone Charles Cunliffe’s choice. He’s accompanied by Harry Rylance and James Garnon is the leader. This is a song of seduction from the conceited sergeant, and James Garnon asks him how he intends to choose one of the villagers (i.e. the audience) to sing it to. “Remember,” says James Garnon, “you’re making their lives better just by being here.” Much hilarity ensues through the various acting attempts until Charles is asked to communicate to the chosen person silently while Harry plays the accompaniment. Finally with some audience members proving too shy to react, Charles persuades James Garnon silently through facial expression and gesture to join him at the front. It’s very funny and enlightens us about the to-and-fro of artists’ communications with audiences.
The two pianists and eight singers join at the front for the concluding arrangement of ‘The Skye Boat Song.’ An involving day of wonderful singing and playing with fascinating insights into the learning processes of young musicians. On our journey back to Berwick four of us choose different singers as our favourite – an indication of how much talent was on show in this week’s course.
The next Samling Artist Programme in Masterclass takes place at Marchmont House on 2nd August. Samling also trains older secondary school pupils in the north east of England in the Samling Academy. On 17th and 19th July this group pf singers perform with John Butt and the Dunedin Consort in Purcell’s ‘Dido and Aeneas’ - a fully staged and costumed performance – in The Fire Station, Sunderland “the North East’s most exciting new venue.”
Photo credit: Mark Pinder
