The Unknown Bird

The Unknown Bird is a dramatic musical story of the life of the composer poet, Ivor Gurney, 1890-1937, one of the foremost composers of song in the first half of the last century. The story is interspersed with Gurney's songs and poems and songs from some of his contemporaries, namely George Butterworth, C.W.Orr and Gerald Finzi.
Gurney was an extremely prolific songwriter and poet and today it is estimated that over two thirds of his work is unpublished. This is a moving story of a genius whose mental health seemed to both inspire and conspire against him. We begin at his home at Gloucester in 1900, journey with him through the Cotswold countryside, visit London, briefly before war, then move to the trenches of the Somme and Ypres. We witness the sadness of his unrequited love and his mental breakdowns that inevitably led to his death in December 1937.
William Drew-Batty (baritone) plays Ivor, accompanied by pianist, Will Fergusson, supported by a small ensemble cast.
 
The duration of the play is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes and will start at 7.30pm
Tickets are available in advance from the following link; 
https://theunknownbirdwalpole.eventbrite.co.uk
Walpole Old Chapel
Halesworth Road
Walpole
Halesworth 
Suffolk IP19 9AZ

Registered Charity 1198030
This website has been supported through a grant from Councillors Locality Funding, Suffolk County Council
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