Iain Bell: Tom O'Bedlam (chamber ensemble version): Gesang mit Klavier

‘Tom O’Bedlam’ is one of the best known examples of c.17th mad-song poetry. Part saga, part stream-of-consciousness, Tom recounts his descent to madness by virtue of his libidinous lifestyle and speaks of his life begging on the streets of London. This concert ‘ayre’ is operatic in style and was commissioned by the University of Notre Dame’s DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.