Lectures, Performances, Recordings, Writings, Transcriptions...
Valerie Langfield's busy musical life comprises making music, researching music, teaching music, speaking about music, composing music - and listening to music, too!
Many of my lectures deal with the life and music of Roger Quilter, but my interests and researches are much wider in scope.
Writings
I regularly contribute scholarly articles, CD liner notes, program notes and other musical writings. I have contributed material to, or provided information for various publications, including:
The Life, Times and Music of Mark Raphael
by Gillian Thornhill
‘The Family von Glehn’
in Nineteenth-century British Music Studies, Volume 3: chapter 14.
‘A young friend of Elgar: Alban Claughton (1876–1969)’
in the Elgar Society Journal
Liner and program notes at ALLMusic.
The Maid of Artois
"A romantic English Opera in 3 Acts"
Michael William Balfe
Speaking
I’ve given talks and lectures on the music of Roger Quilter; settings of A Shropshire Lad; women song composers; how music gets from 19th-century manuscript to 21st-century CD; and various pre-concert talks.
‘O Vision Entrancing’: a British Opera Study-Day
Accompanying
I play orchestral piano with both Stockport and Wilmslow Symphony Orchestras. I’m the principal accompanist for Stockport Music Service, and also a regular staff accompanist for the Heaton Mersey Youth Festival.
Composing
Occasionally I get a chance to sit down and compose something: my most recent pieces have been recorder duets (first performed in July 2016) and 'In Retrospect' for solo trumpet, first performed by Will Morley at the Royal Academy of Music, London, in June 2016.
Arranging
I’m regularly called upon to arrange music for ‘interesting’ instrumental combinations, though most of my arrangements have been for brass quintet.
Opera editions
You can find more information on my work on British operas by clicking on the Retrospect Opera tab.