James Bowman (1941-2023)

[Maclintick]

I first heard him as a magnificently malevolent Oberon opposite Ileana Cotrubas’s Titania in Britten MND at Glyndebourne — the original Peter Hall production of 1981with BH in the pit.
Great days ! RIP James.

[frankbridge]

I was lucky to hear James Bowman live several times in concert, of course with the AAM under Chris Hogwood, but the best concert I attended had to be the Albert Hall prom in the mid 1990s with Richard Hickox, Malcolm Arnold's 2nd Symphony and Jimmy Bowman in Carl Orff's wonderful 'Carmina'. Utter joy

[daktari]

Although James Bowman will likely be most remembered for the English repertoire in which we can compare him with other performers in the alto range I particularly treasure his contributions to the many 'debut' recordings on the Ricercar label of pre-Bach German cantatas (Nicolaus Bruhns, Matthias Weckmann, Dietrich Buxtehude and many others) in which he took over from Henri Ledroit. Ricercar also produced at least two discs with music for alto solo with repertoire selected for his wonderful voice (Byrd/Anonymous and Vivaldi/Ziani/Tuma/Monn/Marcello). It is testament to his affable personality that a singer strongly connected with the English choral tradition and -repertoire contributed so much to the baroque revival and music-making on the European continent (e.g with Gustav Leonhardt and Ton Koopman).

[Pulcinella]

Times obituary here:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/james-bowman-obituary-7pxctvtwz?shareToken=e7d26bafa76664787a3e6518c8477600

[MickyD]

Although James Bowman will likely be most remembered for the English repertoire in which we can compare him with other performers in the alto range I particularly treasure his contributions to the many 'debut' recordings on the Ricercar label of pre-Bach German cantatas (Nicolaus Bruhns, Matthias Weckmann, Dietrich Buxtehude and many others) in which he took over from Henri Ledroit. Ricercar also produced at least two discs with music for alto solo with repertoire selected for his wonderful voice (Byrd/Anonymous and Vivaldi/Ziani/Tuma/Monn/Marcello). It is testament to his affable personality that a singer strongly connected with the English choral tradition and -repertoire contributed so much to the baroque revival and music-making on the European continent (e.g with Gustav Leonhardt and Ton Koopman).

Yes, there's that very nice vintage Das Alte Werk disc of Purcell Anthems and Songs with JB, KCC plus the Leonhardt Consort and Frans Bruggen.

[Piazolla]

Back in the late 70's and well into the 1980's I heard James Bowman countless times on the wave of "original" performances with Academy of ancient music. Often these were at the Wigmore Hall and I always sat in the front row! One particularly memorable concert there was Christopher Hogwood at the harpsichord with James Bowman doing an entire programme of Handel. I was utterly captivating. Happy memories to cherish!

[Keraulophone]

Often these were at the Wigmore Hall ... One particularly memorable concert there was...

...a recital in which James Bowman joined Peter Pears in Britten's Canticle II - Abraham and Isaac, invariably a moving work, quoted ten years later in the War Requiem but with the devastating twist at Owen's lines "But the old man would not so, but slew his son, / And half the seed of Europe, one by one." The pianist may have been Graham Johnson, IIRC.