Malcolm Singer on Leonard Bernstein
Report by Ingrid Segal
Last night, the renowned composer and conductor Malcolm Singer shared personal stories of his encounters with the dynamic Leonard Bernstein.
Malcolm Singer was, among many other distinguished positions, Director of Music at the Yehudi Menuhin School from 1991 to 2017. His own Jewish works include Kaddish, commissioned by the BBC Singers in York to mark the 800th anniversary of the massacre of the Jews at Clifford’s Tower.
A packed and enthralled audience listened intently to every fascinating detail of Malcolm’s talk, entitled ‘Leonard Bernstein: The Jewish Works’.
Malcolm introduced us to some of Bernstein’s most notable Jewish works, explaining how they were influenced by distinctive Jewish rhythms and tempos. He also spoke of his personal meetings with Bernstein over several decades, recalling both the composer’s complex personality and his extraordinary musical genius.
To conclude the evening, Malcolm treated us to a film featuring Lauren Bacall serenading Leonard Bernstein during his 70th-birthday gala at Tanglewood. The wonderfully entertaining ‘Saga of Lenny’ gently poked fun at Bernstein’s extravagant personal and professional behaviour, providing a delightful finale to an enthralling evening.
It was a memorable and illuminating evening, bringing Bernstein’s music, personality and Jewish heritage vividly to life.