Song: A History in 12 Parts

John Potter

Jan 2024 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by Elliot Fitzpatrick

About this audiobook

From one of our most innovative singers, a vibrant history of song stretching from Hildegard von Bingen and Benjamin Britten to Björk "Songs can be intensely personal (whether you hear them or sing them) and none of us would choose the same twelve songs as anyone else. My choices are based on decades of performing experience in many different genres, but I hope they will reveal aspects of our common humanity as the story evolves from the Middle Ages to the present." In this celebratory account, author and singer John Potter tells the European story of song. The form has captivated audiences and excited performers for centuries, from the music of the troubadours and the Christian liturgy through classical composers such as Bach and Schumann up to Britten, Berio, and the rise of popular music. Choosing twelve key works, Potter offers a personal tour through this vital tradition, from John Dowland's "Flow My Tears" to George Gershwin's "Summertime." Throughout, he reveals who wrote and sang these joyful masterpieces-and what they mean to singers and audiences today.

About the author

John Potter's books include Tenor and A History of Singing. His singing career has included first performances of works by Luciano Berio, Arvo Pärt, and Gavin Bryars, and backing vocals for Manfred Mann and The Who. He records for ECM and was a major contributor to the Hilliard Ensemble's million-selling Officium album.

Elliot Fitzpatrick is an actor from London who has performed in the West End, at Shakespeare's Globe, and with the Rose Theatre Kingston. He has narrated over fifty titles, including books by Bear Grylls, and earned a 2021 Audie Award nomination for his work on Caroline Mitchell's The Midnight Man.