Music at Paxton: Masterclass with Roderick Williams and Iain Burnside
Paxton House 25/7/26
Roderick Williams baritone, Iain Burnside piano
Ava Newby soprano, Emily Kemp soprano, Amy Karensa mezzo soprano
The Saturday morning audience at Paxton have come to the Masterclass for two very good reasons, first,and most important, to hear three excellent singers in the early stages of their career, and second to observe them learning techniques which will make each of them a better performer. In his introduction, Roderick Williams issues a caveat – he is not a singing teacher,and in three 25 minute sessions he has no intention of interfering with their vocal training. However, from his own experience he can help these singers improve their stage presence, and delivery – techniques they will certainly learn eventually, but he has tips to let them cut a few corners. The Masterclas is relaxed: Roderick Williams has a fund of good stories - and he has no problem convincing the audience to take part in the discussion. Iain Burnside, the sensitive accompanist, also makes pertinent comments.
Soprano Ava Newby has just finished her last year at St Anthony’s School, Sunderland and is waiting for her A level results. She joined Samling Academy three years ago, and has taken part in their training programmes and performances for young classical singers in the North East of England – I can highly recommend their annual summer concerts. She sings a Mozart song and Quilter's Fair House of Joy, both beautifully. Roderick Williams works with her on the Quilter. He says he is “obsessed with where singers look” and asks Ava to make sure she looks round the room round the room and aim to look everybody at least once in the eye as she's singing. This helps to steady the nerves – and he recommends that faking a relaxed posture can also works wonders. Ava agrees that Quilter's words are an expression of joy, and works on varying the emphasis on repeated words, and on breathing more deeply to support the music though though to the end of the line.
Glasgow born soprano Emily Kemp has just finished a Modern Language degree at St Andrew's University, and is about to start a Masters in Vocal Technique at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire. She's recently worked with the Dunedin Consort as a recipient of their Bridging the Gap programme, and has been a member of the SCO Chorus Young Singers Programme. She was in the BBC Proms as the First Fairy in BBC SSO's Midsummer Night's Dream. Her first aria is from Bach's St John Passion - an unusual choice which she sings very well. Roderick Williams notes that while early career singers have access to courses in opera and song, there are no spercific courses in oratorio singing, something which nearly all classical singers will do often. He leaves her with a question: what can a young soprano like her do to convince a conductor to choose her to sing this role rather than any of the other excellent sopranos around? He then turns to Emily's chanson 'Apaismant’ by Chausson, and takes her aside to discuss a plan for her next run-through. She begins by seriously looking at the floor then smiling and raising her eyes towards the back window. An audience member correctly identifies “reflection followed by realisation”. Singers, Roderick Williams says, should have a plan for each performance of a song, - it's more fun for them and also varies the audience experience.
Cornish mezzo-soprano Amy Karensa has completed her Master's degree in Vocal Studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, after a BMus from the same institution. Her impressive CV shows that she has already embarked on a professional career: she's won several vocal prizes, had operatic roles in the UK and Germany, and has recently worked with mezzo Karen Cargill. Her chosen work is the song from Robert Schumann's ‘Fraueliebe und leben’ when the wife tell her husband she is pregnant . Roderick Williams has recently recorded the song cycle, which is about a woman, but written by a man for a baritone to sing. Despite problems with the “male gaze” and outdated language, Amy says she finds the words work well for her. At Roderick Williams' suggestion, she and a sympathetic young woman in the audience face each other to act out the scene between husband and wife. It's a difficult task but lets the singer and audience understand the awkwardness of the situation in the song - a valuable lesson on the importance of acting and feelings. This is a fascinating end to the Masterclass, my only regret being that it prevented us from hearing more of Amy's rich mezzo. But, as with the other two participants, there will be many opportunities to do so in the future.
Emily Kemp soprano with Roderick Williams
photo credit: Colin Hattersley Music at Paxton
