Profiles
Mr Garth Bardsley
Lecturer in Musical Theatre
School of Art, Design and Architecture (Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business)
Biography
Biography
Award-winning opera director, Garth Bardsley studied at St John's College, Cambridge, and at the Royal Northern College of Music. He made his operatic debut with the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company and was a soloist for various opera companies. and festivals. He has extensive experience in musical theatre and starred in the West End productions of Jerry Herman’s The Best of Time and as the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera. As a director, Garth has produced for numerous leading conservatoires and international festivals. His production of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream won the Manchester Theatre Award Best Opera 2016. His first book, Stop the World - The Biography of Anthony Newley (Oberon Books) was serialised in The Daily Mail, and garnered 5* reviews from the national press. He has written several plays and, as a poet and lyricist, collaborates with British composer Ben Parry. Their numerous works have been performed and broadcast across the UK and America including the RAH, Christmas at Kings, Sage Gateshead, Washington DC’s National Cathedral and The Kennedy Center. Their Christmas pop song I Wrote You a Christmas Love Song has been recorded by the Royal Air Force Big Band and National Youth Choir of Great Britain and was broadcast worldwide in December 2019. They are currently working on a Christmas album as well as a one-man theatre piece for international opera singer, Christopher Purves. Garth also writes with American composer Gregory Wanamaker and in 2016 their choral work, Laude!, was broadcast on PBS across America and Canada. Together they are working on a new chamber opera and a new song cycle. Garth has been a senior lecturer in opera studies and performance practice at the Royal Northern College of Music. He has recently returned from a year’s Visiting Associate Professorship at New York University in Manhattan where he was Director of Opera and Musical Theatre. Garth joined the University of Plymouth in September 2021.
Publications
Publications
Stop the World: The Biography of Anthony Newley (Oberon Books 2003)
STAGE
The Highwayman - a Musical
Book & Lyrics by Garth Bardsley and Music by Ben Parry (in progress)
One Summer – a Chamber Opera
Libretto by Garth Bardsley
School Rules – All You Ever Wanted To Know About Education But Couldn’t Be Bothered To Ask
A play for 11 – 15 year olds – Premiere June 2012– Dauntsey’s School, Wilts UK 2012
SECULAR CHORAL MUSIC
Flame
Music by Ben Parry Words by Garth Bardsley – Peters Edition 2011
BBC Promenade Concert - Aug 5th 2012 - Royal Albert Hall - Sung by 300 Singers - BBC Singers, The Bach Choir & the National Youth Choir Conducted by David Hill
(US Premiere - The Crane School of Music - SUNY Potsdam 2/12/12)
Sing A Cappella
Music by Ben Parry Words by Garth Bardsley – Peters Edition 2012
Commissioned for Sing a Cappella! UK – Premiere London Apr 29th 2012
Spring Sonnets
Music by Ben Parry Words by Garth Bardsley – Peters Edition 2012
Written for the BBC Singers – World Premiere at St Paul’s Knightsbirdge, April 23rd 2012 - Broadcast May 6th BBC R3
Career Paths
Specially Commissioned for the Peters Edition Changing Voices Series
Music by Ben Parry Words by Garth Bardsley – Peters Edition 2012
Sun Soul
Music by Ben Parry Words by Garth Bardsley – Peters Edition 2011
Eclipse
Music by Ben Parry Words by Garth Bardsley – Peters Edition 2011
Snow
Music by Ben Parry Words by Garth Bardsley – Peters Edition 2011
Commission for Loughborough - Premiere Dec 2010
Christmas Cards
Music by Ben Parry Words by Garth Bardsley – Peters Edition 2012
Premiered by Cantabile Dec 2011
SOLO MUSIC
By The Way I Love You
Music by Ben Parry Words by Garth Bardsley – Oxford University Press 2021
Career Paths – Changing Voices Series
Music by Ben Parry Words by Garth Bardsley – Peters Edition 2012
Songs For Girls of a Certain Age
Music by Ben Parry Words by Garth Bardsley – Peters Edition 2012
World Premiere Gold Medal Concert, RNCM June 2012 - Mezzo Soprano Hanna-Liisa Kirchin
Professional Premiere – Sara Fulgoni - 2016
What is Christmas?
Music by Ben Parry Words by Garth Bardsley
I Wrote You A Christmas Love Song
Music by Ben Parry Words by Garth Bardsley
2019 Royal Air Force Central Band Christmas Broadcast
2019 Royal Albert Hall Christmas Carol Concerts – performed before 50,000 people
Christmas Seen Through Children’s Eyes
Music by Ben Parry Words by Garth Bardsley
SACRED CHORAL MUSIC
Aldeburgh Carol
Music by Ben Parry Words by Garth Bardsley – Peters Edition 2015
Three Angels
Music by Ben Parry Words by Garth Bardsley – Peters Edition 2011
Radio 3 Premiere – BBC Singers Dec 2011
Bright Star
Music by Ben Parry Words by Garth Bardsley – Peters Edition 2012
Written for Edinburgh-based choir Cadenza - their new CD titled Bright Star
Veni Emmanuel
Music by Ben Parry Words by Garth Bardsley – Peters Edition 2012
The Christ Child is Born
Music by Ben Parry Words by Garth Bardsley – Peters Edition 2012
Colet Court School Commission – Premiere St Mary Abbots, Kensington Dec 2011
Gabriel’s News
Music by Ben Parry Words by Garth Bardsley – Peters Edition 2012
Monkton School Commission - Premiere Bath Abbey Dec 2011
Magi
Music by Ben Parry Words by Garth Bardsley – Peters Edition 2012
Cathedral Choral Society commission - Premiere National Cathedral, Washington DC 15/12/12
Magi
Music by Ben Parry Words by Garth Bardsley – Peters Edition 2012
Commission for Washington DC's Cathedral Choral Society - World Premiere National Cathedral, Washington DC 15/12/12
School Rules (or All You Ever Wanted To Know About Education But Couldn’t Be Bothered To Ask )
A New Play by Garth Bardsley with Songs by Garth Bardsley and Ben Parry
Premiere July 3rd 2012– Dauntsey’s School, Wilts UK