An American tenor is about to embark on a Coast to Coast walk with
a difference, he'll be performing en route...
At the end of every day of the two-week tramp from Cumbria to
Northumbria, David Pisaro will be stopping to give a performance of
Franz Schubert's, Die Winterreise along with pianist Quentin Thomas.
Die Winterreise - literally 'winter journey' - traces the physical
and emotional journey of a rejected lover travelling away from home
across snow bound landscapes.
It's all a bit surreal, and his web site poses the question:
'Right! Who's up for joining DAVID and QUENTIN as they roam
Schubert's dark and desolate, bleak and brutal landscape? Would you
consider hitching a ride in the twisted mind of our horn player in
his constant quest for love, his endless battle against loneliness?
Would you, could you, indeed should you? It's a dark messed up world
and no mistake...' Nice.
Pisaro is starting his walk from St Bees at 9.00 on 19th January
and will give 13 performances over the course of the 200-mile trek.
He'll be performing in a variety of venues including village halls,
churches, public houses and even the front parlours of isolated
farmsteads. He'll be walking from 13 to 20 miles per day across some
stunning landscapes, but it won't necessarily be easy, particularly
if winter bares its fangs. Fortunately he's been in training, walking
hard in the Cleveland hills.
In a touching display of optimism, Pisaro comments: 'Seeing as
how the protagonist of the song cycle is a lovesick wanderer
travelling by foot through the depths of winter, what better way to
get into character than through becoming a winter wanderer. The worse
the weather, the better the performance... or so the hope goes.'
The plan was apparently born, when Pisaro and his girlfriend were
eating fish and chips at Robin's Hood Bay on the North Yorkshire
coast and she told him about the Coast to Coast walk.
You can find out more about the project, how it began and full
concert details at the rather nice www.winterjourney.com
web site. You can also book tickets from the Box Office on 01642 879
935.
Finally, there's also a piece
on Pisaro's trek in today's Guardian newspaper.
