The Measure of Things – A song recital with a plot twist

Schubert song has been a faithful companion to me since my twenties. As I have evolved as an artist, his songs have at times challenged, consoled and guided.

From the spiritual and self-esteem struggles of the Young Nun through to the shock of loss in Death and the Maiden, his song settings hold wisdoms that can help us navigate this new renaissance we are living in.

In wanting to explore my relationship with Schubert song, I’m developing a song recital called, The Measure of Things. It seeks to re-imagine the song platform as a blend of recital and theatre in order to explore friendship, loneliness and inequality in today’s society.

To help me do this I have created a character called Beryl. Like Schubert, she’s an outsider looking beyond. She also agrees with Darwin that a grain of sand can turn the tide. But her belief takes her far beyond a nice of cup of tea and a hobnob. Through Schubert song and her own insignificance, Beryl questions normality and finds a special kind of truth.