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The English tenor, Samuel (Sam) Boden, has been involved in music all through his life, participating in various children's choirs and orchestras. He started to study the cello at Trinity College of Music junior department at the age of 14. He also joined the 4-part choir run by Philip Colman and sang the tenor solo in Benjamin Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb just before he left at age 15.
At 17 Samuel Boden embarked on a career as a chef, but a couple of years later decided to return to music, and since 2002 (at 19) has been at Trinity College. There he has been a member of the TCM chamber choir and has been abroad with them on two occasions, most recently singing in Tolosa in Spain, where in international competition the choir gained two bronze trophies. In a recent performance with the chamber choir and orchestra in the Old Royal Naval College Chapel, Sam was the tenor solo in Kenneth Leighton's Columba Mea. At the end of his first year, Sam was chosen to represent Trinity in the annual junior Kathleen Ferrier bursary competition. He has been in various early music productions, including Emilio di Cavallieri's Rappresentatione di Anima et di Corpo performed in the Painted Hall on Trinity's campus.
Under the tuition of John Wakefield, Samuel Boden gained first class honours for his BMus degree in the summer of 2006. In December 2005, he took the part of the Government Official in a new opera by Trinity's composer in residence Errollyn Wallen - Another America: Earth. He sang The Child in Michael Tippett's modern oratorio A Child of our Time, performed both in St Bartholomew's, Brighton and Blackheath Halls. He also sang Monteverdi’s Vespers, and various smaller roles including several solo recitals. During his time as a student, he won several awards. He won the Ricordi Opera Prize in 2005 for his portrayal of the title role in Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo to great critical acclaim in Opera Now magazine. He also won the Greenhouse-Allt Prize for cantata and oratorio in 2006 following Trinity’s acclaimed performance of B. Britten’s War Requiem. He represented Trinity at the Wigmore Hall for the Derek Butler London Prize. He is completing his postgraduate studies at Trinity while performing in recitals and concerts around the country.
Other roles include Der Knirps in Das Wundertheater by Henze and Billy in Kurt Weill’s Mahagonny Songspiel at the International ‘Cantiere’ Festival in Montepulciano, Italy, under Jan Latham-Koenig and Alfred Kirchner. Sam has recently finished a tour of the UK with English Touring Opera, playing the role of ‘Orfeo’ in their outreach project, Crossing the Styx’. His forthcoming engagements include several solo recitals and the tenor solo in Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle. In February 2007, he took part in Graham Johnson’s Young Songmaker’s Almanac at St John’s, Smith Square, and sang under Roger Vignoles in Leeds Lieder Plus.
Since leaving college, Samuel Boden has continued to win awards such as the Paul Simm Opera Prize and the Harold Hyam Wingate Scholarship. He has also made a number of broadcasts, including a live performance of Francis Poulenc’s Bleuet for Radio 3, and a solo recording for BBC’s Scouting for Boys. |
