John Whitworth Counter tenor - from his daughter

[Alex Whitworth]

Decade later, after my father's death, I have found this forum! We started to set up a website about him, and were looking at ways for funding this but so far, not much - partly because one's own life has to be lived and funded first!

I'm glad I have found this forum - I listen to R3 more and more now.

It is also nice to find that his discography is popping up on various platforms, such as Spotify and Apple Music.

I was approached by a harpsichord player last year, at a concert I sang and read at (dressed as Dorothy Wordsworth - long story!!) who asked if John Whitworth was my father, as she had been taught by him. These connections are lovely and treasured.

I look forward to browsing around this forum for any other mention of him - in the meantime - if anyone has any memories or anything they'd like to contribute to this thread - it would be lovely to read out to my mother (John's wife of fifty years) as she now has dementia and cannot access the internet any more.

Thank you in advance.
Alex (Alexandra)

[smittims]

I remember him only from the Oiseau-Lyre recordings of Purcell's 'Fairy Queen' , where he sings the three counter-tenor characters, and 'Come ye sons of art' where he duets with Alfred Deller, classic recordings which I must have played countless times on LP and CD. Certainly I would count him among the pioneers of the post-war early music revival in Britain.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I look forward to browsing around this forum for any other mention of him - in the meantime - if anyone has any memories or anything they'd like to contribute to this thread - it would be lovely to read out to my mother (John's wife of fifty years) as she now has dementia and cannot access the internet any more.

Thank you in advance.
Alex (Alexandra)

You can use the search facility, which lists threads that contain his name, though you’ll still have to trawl through individual posts within the threads.

[smittims]

Sorry, I didn't notice the other thread. Maybe we should merge the two.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Sorry, I didn't notice the other thread. Maybe we should merge the two.

Eventually, yes, but for the time being, we’re keeping them separate:

[MickyD]

As an avid early music enthusiast of many years, I am ashamed to say that I was unaware of John Whitworth and his important contribution to the early music movement. Having read all the high praise on the Forum, I will certainly be seeking out his recordings - always pleasant to add to one's musical knowledge.

[Serial_Apologist]

I remember him only from the Oiseau-Lyre recordings of Purcell's 'Fairy Queen' , where he sings the three counter-tenor characters, and 'Come ye sons of art' where he duets with Alfred Deller, classic recordings which I must have played countless times on LP and CD. Certainly I would count him among the pioneers of the post-war early music revival in Britain.

The very recording I have of Come Ye Sons of Art - (the Editions de L'Oiseau-Lyre coupling with Lully's Miserere with a slightly different line-up, as we jazz people say) - for which, I guess, I should now thank John Whitworth posthumously for having got me into Purcell's music in the early 70s. So, welcome to you here, Alex.

[Alex Whitworth]

Thank you :-)

[Alex Whitworth]

That is lovely to read - thank you

[Alex Whitworth]

At my advanced age I decided to finally take some ABRSM singing exams - and have come to realise how much of Purcell et al, is actually just "in there", I guess from hearing it sung around me since I was born (and very likely before!)

[french frank]

At my advanced age I decided to finally take some ABRSM singing exams - and have come to realise how much of Purcell et al, is actually just "in there", I guess from hearing it sung around me since I was born (and very likely before!)

Good luck, Alex. A very precious gift to have inherited from your father.

[Alex Whitworth]

Thank you - sounds strange, but sometimes I can "hear" him when I feel I'm getting something right :-)

[Serial_Apologist]

Thank you - sounds strange, but sometimes I can "hear" him when I feel I'm getting something right :-)

When we discovered I had a good boy soprano voice they gave me strict tutelage to rid me of glottal stops so as to be able to sing Purcell "correctly", in the Laurence Olivier delivery manner in "Richard III". I'm willing to bet they didn't give elocution* lessons back in Purcell's time!

*(At the time I described these as "electrocution lessons"!)

[ardcarp]

Ever heard of Red Byrd? They throw Laurence Olivier to the wind and sing Gibbons, Byrd etc in what they guessed was a contemporaneous accent.* A bit Mummerset if you like. I can't put my hand on my favourite CD of theirs right now, but I'll post it when it turns up.

*I think tenor John Potter fostered the idea. And Red Byrd often sang with viol consorts, eg The Rose Consort and Fretwork