An evening with Horace Stevens

Australia’s forgotten Bass Baritone

A tribute to Horace Stevens, this recital will feature his key works, which were performed throughout his career in Australia, the UK and the US. Focusing on the pieces that made him famous, the night’s programme will include:

• Gounod Mephistopheles Serenade “Faust”
• Mendelssohn Lord God of Abraham “Elijah”
• Mendelssohn Is not His word like a fire? “Elijah”
• Wagner Farewell thou glorious, valiant child (Woton’s Farewell) “The Valkyrie”
• Taylor (SC) Hiawatha’s Vision “Hiawatha”
• Elgar Jesu! By thy suff’ring, dread “The Dream of Gerontius”
• Stanford (CV) Three ‘Songs of the Sea’: Devon, O Devon; Drake’s Drum; The ‘Old Superb‘  
• Hatton (JL) Simon the Cellarer

Performed by David Hibbard (Bass) and John Woods (Piano).

About Horace Stevens
Horace Stevens (1876-1950) was a dentist, a champion rower and above all, a fine singer. Born in Melbourne, in his early years his musical training occurred in church choirs. Receiving critical acclaim as early as 1888, “our boy nightingale” eventually developed into a remarkable bass-baritone, with a glorious and perfectly produced voice, thanks largely to his mother’s best friend, singing teacher Bessie Jukes. He continued to sing and practice dentistry in Melbourne, until 1916, when he enlisted in the AIF Dental Corps.

On service in Europe he contracted Rheumatic Fever, which hospitalised him for four months. Invited to sing on Armistice night, he was recommended to conductor Sir Henry Wood, who agreed to coach him, and his career as a professional singer in England was launched. He was hailed by Sir Edward Elgar as the greatest Elijah ever, selected for a ground breaking recording with Elgar of The Dream of Gerontius, selected by Sir Thomas Beecham to be his “British” Wotan, and preferred by Ralph Vaughan Williams as the baritone soloist in his Sea Symphony.

Stevens returned to Australia to teach in 1937. Amongst his pupils were Robert Allman and  John Lannigan.

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