On Tuesday 8th November 2016 Kathryn joined fellow Samling Artists from over the years to perform in a 20th Anniversary showcase at Wigmore Hall. The programme was based on Shakespeare’s ‘Seven Ages of Man’ exploring ‘this strange eventful history’ through song. Kathryn performed alongside Malcolm Martineau, Benjamin Appl, James Baillieu, Davit Butt Phillip, Andrew Foster-Williams, Kiandra Howarth, Ian Tindale and James Garnon.
“Two songs from Britten’s A Charm of Lullabies (Kathryn Rudge and James Baillieu) opened ‘Infancy’, Baillieu’s piano making much of the harmonic affinity of the Blake ‘Cradle Song’ with the world of The Rape of Lucretia, Rudge captivating in the a cappella opening of ‘The Nurse’s Song’. Her mezzo-soprano voice here and elsewhere proved both rich and variegated of tone”
“Another highlight, not just of this section, but of the concert as a whole, came with the Rudge-Martineau performance of Fauré’s Les Berceaux, its sadness deeply felt… Rudge and Martineau displaying depth to match that of the Fauré song in Alte Liebe. Rudge’s Barber song, The Secrets of the Old, captured the idiom perfectly: an equally fine performance, again well supported by Martineau.” (Boulezian, Mark Berry 14.11.2016)
“A Charm of Lullabies, A Cradle Song and The Nurse’s Song. Rudge gave gentle, warm performances. Rudge and Martineau…performed two calmer numbers, Les anges musiciens and Lune d’Avril, poised and magical with a lovely creamy line… Rudge and Appl accompanied by Tindale, brought charm, delight and a lovely feel for the words to Roger Quilter’s duet ‘It was a lover and his lass’….and sang Britten’s duet ‘Soldier, won’t you marry me?’ making a finely humorous scene out of it… Rudge and Martineau in Alte Liebe, elegant melancholy warmed by Rudge’s voice.”
(Robert Hugill, concert review 10/11/2016)
Samling is a registered charity established in 1966. The Young Artist Programme is designed for young professional singers and pianists (typically aged 24-35). Prospective Samling Artists come from all over the UK and abroad and will usually have completed at least one year of a postgraduate course at music college or conservatoire. The Samling Academy started in 2012 and is open to younger singers (aged 14-21) at an earlier stage of artistic development, who live in the North East of England or study at one of the region’s universities. Samling’s Patron is Sir Thomas Allen and their founding Artistic Director Karon Wright.