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Upstairs / Downstairs – February 5, 1995 | Great Hall, Hart House, University of Toronto
Upstairs / Downstairs – February 5, 1995 | Great Hall, Hart House, University of Toronto
The English musical scene from about 1900 to 1930, comparing and contrasting art music with popular music
date: February 5, 1995
Three talented and versatile singers presented three decades of English songs, from music-hall hits,drawing-room ballads and folksongs through to the triumph of American popular music in the 1930s. The atmosphere of entertainment “upstairs” and “downstairs” was contrasted with the aid of extracts from newspapers, diaries and memoirs of the period. Relevant performers were highlighted, including Dames Clara Butt and Nellie Melba, Marie Lloyd and Gertrude Lawrence. The programme was first performed in March 1986 and revived several times through the succeeding decades. This particular event brought us back for the first time to the Great Hall of Hart House, the scene of the Aldeburgh Connection’s first concert in 1982.
| Song | Artist | Composer | Poet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Just a song at twilight | Robinson, Jennifer, soprano; Fidlar, Jacqui Lynn, mezzo; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Molloy, James | Bingham, Graham Clifton |
| Let’s all go down the Strand | Robinson, Jennifer, soprano; Fidlar, Jacqui Lynn, mezzo; Westman, James, baritone; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Castling, Harry / Murphy, C.W. | anon. |
| In Haven: Capri, Op.37/2 (Sea Pictures) | Fidlar, Jacqui Lynn, mezzo; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Elgar, Sir Edward | Elgar, C.Alice |
| How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank | Fidlar, Jacqui Lynn, mezzo; Westman, James, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Lehmann, Liza | Shakespeare, William |
| A fairy went a-marketing | Fidlar, Jacqui Lynn, mezzo; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Goodhart, Arthur M. | Fyleman, Rose |
| Goodbye! | Robinson, Jennifer, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Tosti, Sir Paolo | Whyte-Melville, George John |
| The Banks of Allan Water | Robinson, Jennifer, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Scottish folksong | anon. |
| Isobel | Westman, James, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Bridge, Frank | Goddard-Fenwick, Digby |
| Josh-u-ah | Robinson, Jennifer, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Arthurs, George / Lee, Bert | Arthurs, George / Lee, Bert |
| Waiting at the Church! | Fidlar, Jacqui Lynn, mezzo; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Leigh, Fred / Arthurs, George | Leigh, Fred / Arthurs, George |
| In summer time on Bredon (A Shropshire Lad) | Westman, James, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Somervell, Sir Arthur | Housman, Alfred Edward |
| The street sounds to the soldiers’ tread (A Shropshire Lad) | Westman, James, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Somervell, Sir Arthur | Housman, Alfred Edward |
| Keep the home fires burning | Robinson, Jennifer, soprano; Fidlar, Jacqui Lynn, mezzo; Westman, James, baritone; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Novello, Ivor | Ford, Lena Guilbert |
| A Hymn for Aviators | Robinson, Jennifer, soprano; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Parry, Sir Charles Hubert Hastings | Hamilton, Mary |
| Marching song of the Royal Flying Corps | Robinson, Jennifer, soprano; Fidlar, Jacqui Lynn, mezzo; Westman, James, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, bass | Converse, Charles | anon. |
| With rue my heart is laden (Bredon Hill and other songs) | Westman, James, baritone; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Butterworth, George | Housman, Alfred Edward |
| I do like to be beside the seaside | Robinson, Jennifer, soprano; Fidlar, Jacqui Lynn, mezzo; Westman, James, baritone; Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Glover-Kind, John A. | Glover-Kind, John A. |
| Tango-Pasodoble (Façade) | Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Walton, Sir William, arr. Lambert, Constant | n/a |
| And her mother came too (A to Z) | Westman, James, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Novello, Ivor | Titheradge, Dion |
| Willow, willow | Robinson, Jennifer, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | English folksong, arr. Grainger, Percy | anon. |
| The British Waterside (or The Jolly Sailor) | Fidlar, Jacqui Lynn, mezzo; Westman, James, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Nottinghamshire folksong, arr. Grainger, Percy | anon. |
| Faeroe Island Dance-Folksong (Let’s dance gay in green meadow) | Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Faeroe Island folksong, arr. Grainger, Percy | n/a |
| The real American folk-song | Westman, James, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Gershwin, George | Gershwin, Ira |
| Some day I’ll find you (Private Lives) | Robinson, Jennifer, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Coward, Sir Noël | Coward, Sir Noël |
| The Tale of the Oyster | Fidlar, Jacqui Lynn, mezzo; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Porter, Cole | Porter, Cole |
| Let’s do it (Paris) | Robinson, Jennifer, soprano; Fidlar, Jacqui Lynn, mezzo; Westman, James, baritone; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Porter, Cole | Porter, Cole |
| Let’s do it (Paris) (reprise) – ENCORE | Robinson, Jennifer, soprano; Fidlar, Jacqui Lynn, mezzo; Westman, James, baritone; Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Porter, Cole | Porter, Cole |