Archives January 2021

Brenda Kean – Brenda was born in Salford, Greater Manchester. Earning her degree from the Open University in Literature, History and Psychology, she has spent the most of her life in the Arts as a photographer, writer, artust and lecturer.

‘Linking music and images enables audiances to fully experience the culture of their own, and other countries, in an anjoyable and accessible way’

• Photography is a passion in my life and I would like to share this passion with you.’

I have five touring photographic exhibitions French Impressions, Images of Andalucia, Shakespeare’s North Country, Majestic Austria and Inspirations of Italy. These are available for touring. I also present 10 different illustrated talks These talks can be booked separately from the Multi-media event

‘The Alhambra Palace – Legacy of the Moors’, ‘Romeria Andaluz,’ ‘Monet the Master of Light’, ‘The Splendour of the Sun King – Louis 14th’, ‘Shakespeare’s Lancashire Connections’, ‘An Elizabethan Progress through the North West of England’, ‘Capri Land of the Syrene,’ ‘Pompeii The Legacy of 79AD ‘ ‘Vienna City of Majesty and Salzburg City of Music’ and ‘A Year in the Iife of a Travel Photographer.

All the images on these web pages are copyright of Brenda Kean.

I work as a freelance Theatre, Film and Music Critic for www.theatre-reviews.co.uk and www.concert-reviews.co.uk websites. The reviews represent my personal and honest opinions of the performances as I have no financial interest in any of the productions.…

Spain: Heart of Fire – From the mountains to the sea, Spain has a special fascination for travellers and tourists. Few experiences the classical music of this passionate culture.

Combining laments, lullabies and serenades, little known outside Spain, wtih side show talks about the Alhambra Palace and the white village of Andalusia, we explore the legacy of the Moors and the rich musical heritage of Spain.…

Kean on Shakespeare© – Voted Man of the Millennium, William Shakespeare’s works have been translated into most of the World’s languages. His legacy is one of our greatest national assets. The richness of his vocabulary and the poetic genius of his writing have inspired generations of artists, writers and composers.

A fascinating new slide illustrated lecture by Brenda Kean, discusses the theories and legends of Shakespeare’s wilderness years, looking at the evidence and reasons for Shakespeare coming to the North West. “From my extensive research, it is my belief that learned his craft as an actor and his skills as a writer here in the North West, during the years from 1580 until 1593, when he became famous.”

This thought provoking discussion about a time of spies and conspiracies is complemented by a ‘progress’ around the historic houses and heritage sites included in the presentation. “I hope to encourage visitors to experience and appreciate the beauty of my home county where Shakespeare spent his ‘salad days’, ‘before he came to man’s estate’ in London.”

Helena Kean’s recital of classical English songs, represents the most evocative settings of Shakespeare’s texts by 20th Century classical composers, including Ralph Vaughan Williams, Roger Quilter, Michael Head and Madeleine Dring. From ‘Othello’ to ‘Twelfth Night’ Shakespeare’s plays are full of music and song. The bard used music in all his plays to create atmosphere, add dramatic tension or simply for comic enjoyment.

The recital includes a special focus on Lancashire composers, with songs by William Walton and Thomas Pitfield. “I have researched over 200 songs and 400 years of English musical history to find an interesting and varied selection of songs for this recital.” The Rawsthorne Trust commissioned a piano reduction of an unpublished song by Rossendale-born Hollywood film composer Alan Rawsthorne, making our performance at Towneley Hall, Burnley in 2001 the World Premiere. To highlight the continuing importance and inspiration of Shakespeare’s text in the 21st Century, the recital also includes contemporary songs by Merseyside born composer Ian Higginson and a new commission from young composer Yvonne Eccles, from Great Harwood, near Blackburn.…

Shakespeare’s North Country: ‘An Elizabethan Progress’ – Brenda’s fabulous new exhibition of outstanding and evocative images of the North West accompanies this production. It has been generously sponsored by the North West’s leading bakery Warburtons (Bread) Ltd. Exploring the historic houses and countryside, which Shakespeare’s might have known, these images take you on an ‘Elizabethan Progress’ of the North West. A Royal Progress by Elizabeth I was a lavish affair, when the Queen survey her lands and was regally entertained in the homess of the nobles families, by her most loyal, by her most loyal subjects.

Brenda personel photographic journey highlights the Elizabeth to early Jacobean architectural treasures, which survive from the time of Elizabeth I and Shakespeare, and are still to be found in the North West of England.…

Postcards From Italy – Italy has a timeless beauty, which delights the tourist and invites us to linger in the warm Mediterranean afternoons. The sights, sounds and scents of Italy have drawn generations of artists, painters, poets, writers, composers and travellers to its shores. A visit to the classical monuments and picturesque landscapes was an essential part of the Grand Tour, which most educated young gentlemen of wealthy families were expected to undertake during the 18th and 19th Centuries.

This multi-media presentation by Music & Images Classical Events explores the Naples–Sorrento–Amalfi region of Southern Italy in a new exhibition of photographic images ‘Inspirations of Italy’ by Brenda Kean B.A.(Hons) and her two illustrated lectures; one discussing ‘The Legacy of 79AD’ and the classical sites of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Paestum; the second reveals the immortal beauties of the ‘Land of the Sirene’. The delights of the South are complemented by the music of composers from all over the world including of the classical songs of Ottorino Respighi.

Respighi’s orchestral impressions of The Fountains and The Pines of Rome are loved and enjoyed by many concert goers across the world, yet his wonderful and evocative songs are now rather neglected. The preparation of this recital is discussed in an article by Helena Kean, mezzo-soprano in the Summer 2002 edition of the Respighi Society newsletter.

Our premiere at Towneley Hall in Burnley, Lancashire was attended by Dr Cavalcaselle, the Italian Consul from Manchester. In his letter to us following the event he wrote:

It was indeed a great pleasure for me to assist to “Italia Classica”: I enjoyed very much the Respighi’s recital, the lecture with the slides and the photographic exhibition. I found that the glimpse of Italy you offer through music, images and words is very interesting and attractive for the public. At least it was so for me. More important still, and clearly shows by the sensitive manner with which you treat your artistic work, is the deep commitment and love for what you do and for the country you visited.…

Austria: Music & Majesty – Helena’s recital is a selection of favorite and well known love songs by Schubert, Brahms, Strauss, Mahler and Wolf and features Schumann’s song cycle ‘Frauenliebe und – leben’.: a woman’s life and loves. Over a century of romantic lieder composition is represented in this personal journey trough German and Austrian song.

All the composers lived at some time in Vienna and the city offered the best opportunities for performance of their works. The study of Lieder is vital to the professional development of any aspiring singer and the  German language offers its own challenges in song. Our A4 souvenir programme providers full-translations, an essay on the development of the Romantic Lied and a travelogue of our trip to Vienna and Salzburg.…