14 January 2023
Wadia and Godliman relished the verbal jousting and jesting. And, more than that, they made it fun – as it is surely intended to be.
—Claire Seymour, Opera Today
An evening of words and music based on Simon Armitage’s translation of The Owl and the Nightingale, presented in collaboration with Faber Members.
Poet Laureate Simon Armitage’s witty and enchanting version of The Owl and the Nightingale was published in 2021 and is based on a traditional Middle English debate poem in which two birds engage in a fierce verbal contest to prove which is the superior bird.
Performed live on stage, this concert featured Simon Armitage as narrator and actors Kerry Godliman and Nina Wadia as the eponymous birds whose argument moves entertainingly from the eloquent and philosophical to the ribald, risqué, and ridiculous!
Touching on universal themes such as competition, the importance of beauty, and what constitutes a valuable contribution to society, Armitage’s retelling of The Owl and the Nightingale is as pertinent today as when it was first published.
Narrator: Simon Armitage
Actors: Kerry Godliman, Nina Wadia
Director: Jennifer Toksvig
Music performed included avian-inspired, and argumentative pieces spanning various centuries.
Bach Concerto for Violin and Oboe, BWV 1060, Mvt 1. Allegro
Biber Battalia à 10, Mvt 3. ‘Presto’ and Mvt 7. ‘Die Schlacht’
Birtwistle Duet 4 Violute
Couperin ‘Le Rossignol Vainqueur’ and ‘Le Rossignol en Amour’
Janequin ‘Le chant des oiseaux’ (extract)
Ligeti ‘Six Bagatelles’ for Wind Quintet, Mvt 2. Rubato Lamentoso and Mvt 5. Adagio – Mesto
Purcell ‘Rondeau’ from Abdelazer
Pēteris Vasks Wind Quintet No.1, ‘Music for Fleeting Birds’
Shostakovich Chamber Symphony in C minor, Op.110a, Mvt 1. Largo (extract)
Telemann ‘Grillen-Symphonie’, TWV 50:1, Mvt 1. Vivace
Vivaldi Flute Concerto in F major, RV 433
Huw Watkins Five Duos for Clarinet and Violin, Mvt 1. Allegro Molto
Keen to learn more?
You can find detailed information about the actors, the poem, and the music in our programme.