The Past ​& I:
    100 Years
                of Thomas Hardy
​

“Anyone with an ear for Thomas Hardy’s poetry will respond to the sinewy variety of ‘The Past & I' – settings, composed or arranged by Arthur Keegan”
​
-  Fiona Maddocks, The Observer

About...​
This collaboration between mezzo-soprano Lotte Betts-Dean and composer Arthur Keegan celebrates Thomas Hardy’s special place in art song over the last 100 years. The resulting collection of music is manifest in an album released by Delphian Records (2024) and three concert programmes.

The album includes new arrangements of beloved music by Finzi and Britten alongside beautiful songs (some unearthed from archives) by Imogen Holst, Muriel Herbert, Ivor Gurney, Robin Milford and Derek Holman. At its heart are three new pieces composed specially for the project: Kerry Andrew’s haunting setting of Hardy’s The Echo Elf Answers and a pair of song cycles by Arthur Keegan exploring the poet’s complex relationship with his first wife Emma and his obsession with the passage of time.
 
Through close collaboration with the composer, Lotte Betts-Dean’s unique vocal qualities, charisma and expressive emotional range have fundamentally shaped this celebration of Hardy and song.

Scroll down for documentation of this project, including a short film, a podcast series, reviews and links to the album.

​For the three concert programmes that emerge from this project, head to this page.

Short film: A Journey to the Heart of Thomas Hardy

Album released 19th July 2024

Stream Here

Buy Here

Reviews

“Keegan is supremely attuned not only to the finer details of Hardy’s poetry but also to his peculiar blend of old-school pastoral and what he once termed ‘the ache of modernism’ as... snatches of folk-music are disrupted by unexpected harmonies and extended vocal techniques”
– Katherine Cooper, Presto Music (nominated for Presto's World Premiere Recording of the Year)

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“Outstanding performances by Lotte Betts-Dean, James Girling and the Ligeti Quartet enrich atmospheric settings composed and arranged by Arthur Keegan”
– Fiona Maddocks, The Observer

“Keegan’s... Elegies for Emma, embodies a heart-rending poignancy in that it incorporates the haunting voice of Emma herself, and the fluidity of Hardy’s verse is sensitively projected above the numinous sound of the guitar”
– Jeremy Dibble, Gramophone Magazine

“Interesting and imaginative... an intriguing project, lovingly realised”
– Andrew McGregor, BBC Radio 3, Record Review

“The Ligeti Quartet’s performance [of String Quartet no. 1] resonates with commitment and eloquence as Keegan highlights the tensions between man and nature, art and mortality, interlaying texts by Hardy and Philip Larkin. In all, a quirky, highly personal and thought-provoking project”
– Ashutosh Khandekar, BBC Music Magazine

“Keegan has crafted a highly satisfying mix of old and new, with his arrangements making us see more familiar items differently. My own favourite remains his cycle for voice and guitar, but the whole recital is a lovely one, benefitting from superbly sympathetic performances.”
– Robert Hugill, PlanetHugill.com

Podcast

Buy the album here

Streaming links here

Concert Tour 2024 here

Booklet notes here

Support & Funding
Creation of the music and recording was supported and funded by individuals as well as arts institutions, trusts, societies, estates and organisations. We are extremely grateful to everyone who has given their time, advice and money toward this project.

Patrons:
Anna & Ian Taylor   |   Dave Green   |   David Fay & Rachel Hodgins   |   James Allen   |   Neal Farwell   |   Toby & Marie-Louise Fay

Commissioners:
John Warnes   |   Marilyn Kinnon   |   Helen M. Macrae

Project Supporters:
James Hall   |   ​Hannah French   |   David Keegan   |   Phil & Courtney   |   Heather Taylor   |   Matt Moore   |   Ali Hetherington   |   Joanna Bacon   |   Edward Whitney   |   Brett Dean   |   Sarah Bardwell   |   Craig Dean   |   Andy Day