Organization

Singer

Tenor

Nicky Spence

Pianist

Dylan Perez

La Monnaie/De Munt

Nicky Spence & Dylan Perez

Brussels

Belgium

La Monnaie

Nicky Spence & Dylan Perez: Recital Various

Public

Recital

Approved

There’s the taste of America, and the taste of Scotland. There’s an almost tourist-board version of the green, pleasant land of Britain, and there’s the harsh war imagery of Britten’s Who are these children?. Stick with tenor Nicky Spence and pianist Dylan Perez, as they give some insights into their new recital programme, and the perks of not being able to wear wigs.

Upon the street they lie
Beside the broken stone:
The blood of children stares from the broken stone.
Death came out of the sky
In the bright afternoon:
Darkness slanted over the bright afternoon.
-- The Children (Benjamin Britten / W. Soutar)

Composer Benjamin Britten’s Who are these Children? is a heart-rending indictment of the violence and horrors every war inflicts on children. At a time when children's blood is once again staring out at us from the debris of war on the European continent, Nicky Spence and Dylan Perez open their recital with this haunting cycle. Sadly, some of the songs could pass as live news coverage today.

Yet the Scottish tenor and the American pianist also want to provide perspective. Inspired by their own collaboration, they acknowledge what happens when cultures do come together. The programme celebrates Scottish and American poets and composers, as well as the two musicians’ own roots, through themes such as childhood, loss of innocence and ecstatic love.

English

Nicky Spence & Dylan Perez by Various, From (2022/2022), La Monnaie, Brussels, Belgium

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Programme, About & Synopsis

Videos

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Further reading

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