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Newnham Concert
Nov. 2nd, 2025 05:29 pmLast night we went to Newnham for a concert entitled '"I never Laid Eyes on Aeneas" and subtitled 'Women's stories from the ancient world and the life of Jane Harrison (NC 1874)'.
Jane Harrison was a pioneering woman Classics scholar of the 19th and early 20th Century, who went to Newnham as a student and was later a don there. Here's an article by Mary Beard about her in the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/sep/04/mary-ellen-harrison-mary-beard .
The concert honouring Harrison was of 17th Century music for theorbo (played by Elizabeth Kenny) and singer, Nardus Williams. Williams had a gorgeous voice. She's actually a soprano but her voice was reallly full and mellow. The songs were introduced by Mary Beard, who explained the classical refernces and connected them to Jane Harrison's life.
The concert was wonderful. The music was either written by women or about women or based on women's writings (eg on Sappho). There were different versions of Dido, one of whom declared that Virgil was a lying swine, and she had never met Aeneas. Mary's introductions were both learned and entertaining.
Afterwards the audience was invited to the Porter's Lodge for drinks and canapes. We didn't stay long but I had wanted to look at the painting of Harrison by Augustus John, which is reproduced in the Guardian article. It's not a large picture, and a bit dingy, but it means a lot.
Jane Harrison was a pioneering woman Classics scholar of the 19th and early 20th Century, who went to Newnham as a student and was later a don there. Here's an article by Mary Beard about her in the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/sep/04/mary-ellen-harrison-mary-beard .
The concert honouring Harrison was of 17th Century music for theorbo (played by Elizabeth Kenny) and singer, Nardus Williams. Williams had a gorgeous voice. She's actually a soprano but her voice was reallly full and mellow. The songs were introduced by Mary Beard, who explained the classical refernces and connected them to Jane Harrison's life.
The concert was wonderful. The music was either written by women or about women or based on women's writings (eg on Sappho). There were different versions of Dido, one of whom declared that Virgil was a lying swine, and she had never met Aeneas. Mary's introductions were both learned and entertaining.
Afterwards the audience was invited to the Porter's Lodge for drinks and canapes. We didn't stay long but I had wanted to look at the painting of Harrison by Augustus John, which is reproduced in the Guardian article. It's not a large picture, and a bit dingy, but it means a lot.
