Finzi’s 'A Young Man’s Exhortation' Highlight of Sept. 3 Voice Recital at UT

The poetry of Thomas Hardy will come to life at The University of Tampa on Thursday, Sept. 3, when Charles Dugan, an artist associate faculty member in voice, performs A Young Man’s Exhortation. The recital begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values and is free and open to the public.

A Young Man's Exhortation by British composer Gerald Finzi incorporates poems by Thomas Hardy into a cycle of ten songs for tenor and piano. Dugan, tenor, will be accompanied by Kevin Wu, piano, and joined by fellow voice artist associate faculty member Joseph Ryan, baritone, for a special duet.

Finzi composed several song cycles to the texts of Hardy. A Young Man's Exhortation outlays the life and thoughts of a maturing central narrator in gleeful youth, love, change, aging and death. Finzi's music is tonal, filled with tone painting and strong, speech-driven melodies.

Dugan has performed internationally with the a cappella choir La Chapelle du Hainaut, the Chapelle Choer de L’église St. Géry of Valciennes, France, and in recital in Paris. Recent solo/choral performances include those with the Sarasota Artist Series, Gloria Musicae of Sarasota, the Sarasota-Manatee Bach Festival, the Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus and Orchestra, the Sarasota Camerata, Charlotte Symphony and Sarasota’s Key Chorale. Dugan is a member of the Chorus of Men and Boys of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Tampa, under the direction of Maestro Simon Morely.

For more information, contact Hein Jung, associate professor of music, at hjung@ut.edu or (813) 253-3690.