Recitals
Lesley-Jane’s wide-ranging recital repertoire
incorporates English Song, Lieder, mélodies
and American song, as well as lighter music and show songs.
Whether drawing on popular favourites or beguiling unknowns or
a mixture of the two, she creates well-crafted concerts,
discussing programming ideas with Artistic Directors
as appropriate. Add to this Lesley-Jane's lively personality
and her engaging interpretative skills, and the result
is performances that delight her audiences.
Lesley-Jane works regularly with the pianist Jennie-Helen Moston, and the harpist Danielle Perrett.
She also gives many chamber music recitals, particularly with the recorder player John Turner. John’s dedication to new music is legendary, but it is his particular interest in 20th century English music that has led to Lesley-Jane giving performances of songs by such interesting composers as Peter Crossley-Holland, Julius Harrison, Percy Young, Thomas Pitfield, Stephen Dodgson, Ian Parrott, Cyril Scott, Wilfrid Mellers, Walter Bergmann and John Joubert among others. She recorded four of John Joubert’s song cycles in honour of his 80th Birthday in 2007. The resulting CD, entitled John Joubert Four Song-Cycles, was released in May 2007 on the Toccata Classics label [TOCC 0045].
In
the ‘English Composer’ series for the Campion/Cameo
label, Lesley-Jane
may be heard on:
-
Grains of Sand - music by and for Wilfrid Mellers [Cameo 2051/52; 2006]
-
High Barbaree - a CD of music by the composer Stephen Dodgson [Cameo 2032; April 2004]
-
Celtic Magic - featuring music by ‘Peter Crossley-Holland and his circle’ [Cameo 2026; June 2003]
She has also released two Artsong CDs on the Penchant label, one of Schubert Lieder and one of English Song, with the pianist Christopher Ross.
For full details of Lesley-Jane’s concert diary or for booking enquiries, please e-mail:
info@lesleyjanerogers.demon.co.uk
* * * *
TRIBUTE to Chris Ross
Lesley-Jane Rogers worked regularly with the pianist Christopher Ross for fifteen years. Given the very special nature of the relationship between singer and accompanist, it is with immense sadness that the death of Chris Ross from leukaemia in December 2005 brought this dynamic duo to an end.
Lesley-Jane writes: “tapping into each other’s mode of expression and interpreting songs together requires a particular symbiotic relationship; Chris and I would sometimes start with very different ideas about a work, but we loved exploring the possibilities and would always end up with a cohesive view about a piece. I believe we had a certain spark in performance and this was something that we delighted in sharing with our audiences. To say that I sorely miss him is a huge understatement. I’m only thankful that we did at least manage to record two CDs together.”
Full details of Chris and Jane’s CDs - Schubert Lieder and English Song - may be found on the Penchant website, where secure on-line purchases may also be made.
Christopher Ross, piano, and Lesley-Jane Rogers, soprano, during their English Song CD recording sessions