I Wonder as I Wander James Newby & Joseph Middleton

• Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976):
• 1Britten: Tom Bowling & Other Song Arrangements: No. 6, I Wonder as I Wander04:31
• 2Britten: Folksong Arrangements, Vol. 3 "British Isles": No. 2, There's None to Soothe01:54
• Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828):
• 3Schubert: Der Wanderer, D. 48905:42
• 4Schubert: Der Wanderer, D. 64903:04
• 5Schubert: Auf der Donau, Op. 21 No. 1, D. 55303:11
• 6Schubert: Im Freien, Op. 80 No. 3, D. 88005:38
• 7Schubert: Abendstern, D. 80602:57
• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827):
• 8Beethoven: Adelaide, Op. 4605:25
• 9Beethoven: 8 Songs, Op. 52: No. 4, Maigesang02:10
• 10Beethoven: An die ferne Geliebte, Op. 98: No. 1, Auf dem Hügel sitz ich spähend02:35
• 11Beethoven: An die ferne Geliebte, Op. 98: No. 2, Wo die Berge so blau01:33
• 12Beethoven: An die ferne Geliebte, Op. 98: No. 3, Leichte Segler in den Höhen01:31
• 13Beethoven: An die ferne Geliebte, Op. 98: No. 4, Diese Wolken in den Höhen00:57
• 14Beethoven: An die ferne Geliebte, Op. 98: No. 5, Es kehret der Maien, es blühet die Au02:33
• 15Beethoven: An die ferne Geliebte, Op. 98: No. 6, Nimm sie hin denn, diese Lieder04:22
• Gustav Mahler (1860 - 1911):
• 16Mahler: Lieder und Gesänge, Vol. 3: No. 10, Zu Straßburg auf der Schanz'04:26
• 17Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn (Version for Voice & Piano) [Excerpts]: No. 11a, Revelge06:51
• 18Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn (Version for Voice & Piano) [Excerpts]: No. 11, Urlicht05:22
• Benjamin Britten:
• 19Britten: Folksong Arrangements, Vol. 4 "Moore's Irish Melodies" (Excerpts): No. 5, At the Mid Hour of Night02:45
• 20Britten: Folksong Arrangements, Vol. 4 "Moore's Irish Melodies" (Excerpts): No. 9, The Last Rose of Summer04:23
• 21Britten: Folksong Arrangements, Vol. 4 "Moore's Irish Melodies" (Excerpts): No. 2, Sail On, Sail On03:10
• Total Runtime01:15:00

Info for I Wonder as I Wander

When deciding on the repertoire for his début disc, James Newby’s first choice fell on An die ferne Geliebte, songs that he had been performing ever since the beginning of his career. But Beethoven’s song cycle – and perhaps even more so the quasi-operatic Adelaide – also sets a tone for the entire disc, that of longing and of wanting to be elsewhere, near the distant beloved. These are emotions that Schubert, perhaps more than any other composer, has plumbed in depth, and Newby went on to select five of his songs that in various ways depict the restlessness and loneliness of the eternal wanderer. Mahler is another composer who knew something about longing – for instance that it can be deadly, which he demonstrated with his Zu Straßburg auf der Schanz, in which a soldier awaits execution after trying to desert to his homeland while the piano imitates the muffled rolling of drums. The military theme continues in the high-strung Revelge, as a young soldier marches towards his death, thinking about his sweetheart with ever-greater desperation. The final song by Mahler, Urlicht, expresses the anguish and pain of earthly life, and the longing for Heaven and, in effect, death. Framing this programme with five folk song arrangements by Benjamin Britten, James Newby and Joseph Middleton explore Man’s never-ending search (geographical or psychological) for that distant object of desire: who, what or wherever it may be.

James Newby, baritone
Joseph Middleton, piano

James Newby
is currently a BBC New Generation Artist (2018-2021), an EHCO Rising Star for the 20-21 season (nominated by the Barbican Hall) and an Ensemble member of Staatsoper Hannover (2019-2021). Although still in his twenties, James is already the recipient of multiple awards, including the 2016 Kathleen Ferrier Award, the Wigmore Hall/Independent Opera Voice Fellowship (2016), the Richard Tauber Prize (for best interpretation of a Schubert Lied), overall Third Prize at the Wigmore Hall/Kohn International Song Competition (2015), the Trinity Gold Medal (2017), Glyndebourne’s prestigious John Christie Award (2017) and a Rising Star for Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment’s 2017-2019 scheme.

James enjoys a busy schedule as a recitalist with appearances at the Wigmore Hall including a shared recital with Dame Sarah Connolly, Leeds Lieder, Oxford Lieder and Perth International Arts Festival, Australia working with pianists Joseph Middleton, Simon Lepper, Garry Matthewman and Panaretos Kyriatzidis.

In September 2019 James joined the ensemble of the Staatsoper Hannover and roles for the forthcoming season will include: Anthony Hope/Sweeney Todd, Belcore/L’Elisir d’Amore and Guglielmo/Cosi fan Tutte. James was a 2017 Jerwood Young Artist at Glyndebourne Festival Opera and appeared in La Traviata, Hamlet, La Clemenza di Tito and the role of the notary in Don Pasquale. Other operatic roles include Count Almaviva Le Nozze di Figaro for Nevill Holt Opera, Howard Moody’s PUSH for Glyndebourne Opera and most recently for his debut at La Monnaie Brussels, and a staged Bach St John Passion (Jesus) with the Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa, directed by Calixto Bieito.

In concert James has appeared at the BBC Proms singing Vaughan Williams Serenade to Music conducted by Sakari Oramo, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Douglas Boyd (Berlioz), Gabrieli Consort (Purcell), La Nuova Musica and RTE National Symphony Orchestra (Bach). Performances with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment have included ‘Christus’ in the world premiere of Sally Beamish’s The Judas Passion; the role of Apollo in Handel’s Apollo e Dafne under Jonathan Cohen, St Matthew Passion under John Butt and various Bach Cantatas as part of the OAE’s ‘Bach, the Universe and Everything’ series at Kings Place, London. He recently made debuts with the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century (Handel’s Messiah) and with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under Juanjo Mena as part of the Cincinnati May Festival.

Future highlights, in addition to his roles in Hannover, include debuts with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and his debut at the Liceu Opera Barcelona for semi-staged performances of Wintereisse. He will also give a series of recitals at major concert halls throughout Europe, as part of his involvement with the European Concert Hall Organisation (ECHO) “Rising Stars” Programme. This season will also see the release of his debut solo CD “From The Distant Beloved” on BIS Records, with pianist Joseph Middleton.

James studies with Robert Dean.

Booklet for I Wonder as I Wander