Rae Woodland in Mozart’s Idomeneo

Rae Woodland (1922-2013) was a versatile soprano. Her particular interest was in music of the baroque era, but she was also much in demand for new works by contemporary composers, including Benjamin Britten. Besides singing for Britten in his own operas, she was part of the cast of the ill-fated “Idomeneo“ at Snape Maltings... Britten had converted the old maltings in Snape, Suffolk, into a concert hall, “with certain facilities for opera”. It opened in 1967, and the Aldeburgh Festival, established by Britten in 1948, relocated there. But a fire started after the opening concert of the Festival just two years later, on 7th June 1969, and the hall had to be rebuilt. The sets and costumes for the performance of Mozart’s “Idomeneo“ were destroyed, but the show went on — in the church in nearby Blythburgh. The planned televised recording had to be postponed, and was finally made on 8th and 9th September at the London Opera Centre. It was broadcast on BBC Two on 10th May 1970. This is Act II, Scene vi — “Ye shores of Crete“, with Rae Woodland as Elektra, and the English Opera Group Chorus and English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Benjamin Britten. I am sharing this extract on the occasion of the 101st anniversary of Rae’s birth. Her performance in this scene has been much admired by my followers. I am so glad that my teacher, whom I loved very much, has found a new generation of fans through this channel.