ALISON KETTLEWELL
Elgar's Sabbath Morning at Sea
Return O God of Hosts
Handel's Samsonagraph. Click
Mon Coeur S'Ouvre a ta Voix
(Samson et Dalilah)
(Saints-Saens)
Alison is a hugely experienced oratorio and concert singer. Her oratorio repertoire is extensive and she has sung in venues throughout the country from parish churches to cathedrals and concert halls. She has also sung in many gala concerts in venues including the Royal Albert Hall, The Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow; the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester; The Symphony Hall, Birmingham; The Queen Elizabeth Hall; The Barbican; St John's, Smith Square; the Cadogan Hall; the Fairfield Hall, amongst others.
She is especially noted for her portrayal of the Angel in Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius which she has performed on numerous occasions, her first performance being under the baton of Robert Tear at Dartington and more recently at Bedford and Exeter. She is also frequently booked to sing the Verdi Requiem: in January 2017 she was privileged to take part in the Defiant Requiem Foundation's performance of this work in Durham Cathedral in memory of the performances at the Terezin concentration camp during WW2.
She has sung with many famous orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Northern Sinfonia, the London Mozart Players, the English Chamber Orchestra, the BBC Concert Orchestra, the OSJ, and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
Particularly memorable engagements include performances with the Royal Northern Sinfonia as Mary in Berlioz's L'Enfance du Christ; Mahler's 2nd and 8th Symphonys at Exeter Great Hall (with the EMG) and world premieres of Will Todd's Gala and Gloria at Durham Cathedral, Adam Gorb's Eternal Voices with the Band of the Royal Marines at Exeter Cathedral (narrated by Sir Trevor MacDonald) and Russell Pascoe's A Different Child at Truro Cathedral.
A frequently performed concert work is Elgar's Sea Pictures - Please click on the live recording of "Sabbath Morning at Sea" made the Ten Tors Orchestra in a performance at St Andrew's Church, Plymouth.
Review:
Sea Pictures – Plymouth Symphony Orchestra
Philip Buttal – SouthWestShows.co.uk
"Elgar’s five Sea Pictures might have been written for mezzo-soprano Alison Kettlewell, even though the first performance in 1899 was given by contralto, Dame Clara Butt.
The piece demands the richness of the lower voice, yet the higher voice’s ability to soar effortlessly to a top a.
Alison not only managed both aspects to sheer perfection, but also captured the emotion of the text so well, aided by a most sensitive orchestral accompaniment."