Hannah Park- soprano
Mark Salters- piano
Benjamin Britten was born in 1913 in Lowestoft, England. He was a composer, conductor, and pianist of the post-war period. Britten wrote over 800 works– including 16 operas, one ballet, over 60 folk songs, and numerous major orchestral and film works. Be Kind and Courteous derives from his opera, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In this scene, Queen Tytania (the queen of the fairies) wakes up after Oberon (the king of the fairies) places a magic potion on her slumbering eyes. Under the potion’s influence, she instantly falls in love with the first person she sees– Bottom (whose head was transformed into that of a donkey). In this comical aria, Queen Tytania commands her subordinate fairies to quickly tend to her newly beloved and feed him.
Be Kind and Courteous
Be kind and courteous to this gentleman,
Hop in his walk and gambol in his eyes,
Feed him with apricots, and dewberries,
With purple grapes, green figs,
and mulberries and mulberries.
The honeybags steal from the humble bees,
And for night-tapers crop, their waxen thighs,
And light them at the fiery glowworm’s eyes,
To have my love to bed, and to arise, arise, arise:
Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies.
CSUF Recital Hall
Monday, April 29th, 2024
Joint-Junior Recital of Hannah Park and Susanna Sun, accompanied by Mark Salters on piano.