Greta Bradman’s touring concert “Home” is a journey through some very popular songs, with a few surprises thrown in. At St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Clunes last Sunday, selecting from a broad list Bradman shaped an interesting programme, commencing with Dvorak’s “Songs my Mother taught me” (Op.55/4) and ending with Donald Bradman’s “Every Day is a Rainbow Day for me”, then adding “Home, Sweet, Home” as an encore. Nostalgia was a big part of the evening.
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The key to the success of the performance was the blend of voice quality with commitment to the text. The understanding and purpose in phrasing the myriad of styles gave meaning to the narrative every time. Bradman’s secure intonation and control over the voice range, particularly the rich middle register, meant an effective reading of Handel’s “Let the bright Seraphim” alongside the intensity of Rachmaninov’s “Vocalise” then later in the programme a selection of folk song arrangements.
Accompanist Kate Johnson added sympathetic support, with a focus on the tonal colours that would have appeared in the original orchestration of many of the works. Her performance of the first Chopin Nocturne and first Arabesque of Debussy as piano interludes matched the committed lyricism of the vocal programme.
The next performance is at St. Patrick’s Cathedral Ballarat on June 30th.
