Roderick Williams

Roderick Gregory Coleman Williams OBE (born 1965) is a British baritone and composer.

Biography
Williams was born in North London to a Welsh father and a Jamaican mother. He attended Christ Church Cathedral School in Oxford and Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, a public school in Hertfordshire. He was a choral scholar at Magdalen College, Oxford, and then became a music teacher and led the Tiffin Boys Choir. At the age of 28, he resumed music studies at the Guildhall School of Music in London. At Guildhall, he made his operatic debut as Tarquinius in Benjamin Britten's The Rape of Lucretia.

Williams first appeared at The Proms in 1996 as the Royal Herald in Verdi's Don Carlos. He was a soloist at the 2013 Proms production of Ralph Vaughan Williams' ‘A Sea Symphony’, and again in 2014 Last Night of the Proms, which included performances of his own arrangements of two songs. His commercial recordings include albums for Naxos and for Signum. In 2006, Williams and the Sacconi Quartet made the premiere recording of Gerald Finzi's 1921-22 song cycle By Footpath and Stile.

Williams is the president of Junior Saint James Singers and has been the president of Malvern Concert Club since July 2014 and of the Three Choirs Festival Society since December 2016. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to music. In 2019 he was announced as Patron of Birmingham Bach Choir. In 2020 he was appointed President of the London concert series Thames Concerts. In 2022, he was appointed a Vice-President of The Bach Choir.

Williams and his wife, Miranda, have two daughters and a son. His sister-in-law is the stage director Orpha Phelan.

In 2022, Williams became a Patron of Opera Brava, "Britain's leading outdoor touring Opera Company." In 2023, he was announced as one of the composers who would each create a brand new piece for the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla.

Operatic repertoire

 * Escamillo in Carmen by Bizet
 * Sid in Albert Herring by Britten
 * Billy Budd in Billy Budd by Britten
 * Henry Cuffe in Gloriana by Britten
 * Ned Keene and Balstrode in Peter Grimes by Britten
 * Tarquinius in The Rape of Lucretia by Britten
 * Top in The Tender Land by Copland
 * Belcore in L'elisir d'amore by Donizetti
 * Albert in Werther by Massenet
 * Don Giovanni in Don Giovanni by Mozart


 * Guglielmo in Così fan tutte by Mozart
 * The Count in Le nozze di Figaro by Mozart
 * Papageno in Die Zauberflöte by Mozart
 * Prince Andrei Bolkonsky in War and Peace by Prokofiev
 * Marcello in La bohème by Puccini
 * Schaunard in La bohème by Puccini
 * Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia by Rossini
 * Harlequin in Ariadne auf Naxos by Strauss
 * Onegin in Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky
 * The King's Herald in Don Carlos by Verdi

Recordings
Song with piano or chamber accompaniment

Complete Cantatas Rameau  With Rachel Elliott, soprano, James Gilchrist, tenor, and Thomas Guthrie, bass. New Chamber Opera Ensemble Cond. Gary Cooper 1998  ASV Ltd  CD GAX 234/1 and /2

The Songs of Percy Turnbull  Turnbull   With Nancy Argenta, soprano and Robin Bowman, piano. 2000 Somme  SOMMCD 020

Blood-red Carnations  Songs by Schoenberg  With Sarah Connolly, mezzo-soprano, Iain Burnside, piano. 2002 Black Box

I said to Love - Let Us Garlands Bring - Before and After Summer  Finzi  With Iain Burnside, piano 2004  Naxos  8.557644

Songs of Travel - The House of Life - Four poems by Fredegond Shove   Vaughan Williams  With Iain Burnside, piano. 2004 Naxos  8.557643

Beastly Tales Panufnik  With Patrizia Rozario, sopranon, Yvonne Howard, mezzo-soprano, City of London Sinfonia cond. Sian Edwards 2005  EMI Classics  0946 3 56692 2 0

Earth and Air and Rain - By Footpath and Stile - To a Poet   Finzi  With Iain Burnside, piano and the Sacconi Quartet. 2005/6 Naxos  8.557963

Severn & Somme   Howells, Sanders, Wilson, Venables  With Susie Allan, piano. 2006 Somm   SOMMCD 057

The Sky Shall Be Our Roof Songs from the operas of Vaughan Williams  With Sarah Fox, soprano, Juliette Pochin, mezzo-soprano, Andrew Staples, Iain Burnside, piano. 2007 Albion Records  ALB001

Complete Solo Songs   Moeran   With Geraldine McGreevy, soprano, Adrian Thompson, Tenor, John Talbot, piano. 2008/9 Chandos CHAN 10596(2)

Songs before Sleep Richard Rodney Bennett  With Sophie Daneman, soprano, Susan Bickley, Mezzo-soprano, Benjamin Hulett, tenor, Oliver Coates, cello and Iain Burnside, piano. 2009 NMC Recordings  NMC D155

Songs Michael Head  With Ailish Tynan, soprano, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, mezzo-soprano, Christopher Glynn, piano. 2009 Hyperion  CDA67899

Songs from A Shropshire Lad - Folk Songs from Sussex   Butterworth  With Iain Burnside, piano. 2010  Naxos  8.572426

Songs and Proverbs of Williams Blake - Tit for Tat - Folk-songs   Britten  With Iain Burnside, piano. 2011 Naxos  8.572600

Songs - The Airmen Shaw   With Sophie Bevan, soprano, Andrew Kennedy, tenor, Iain Burnside, piano. 2012  Delphian  DCD 33105

Italienisches Liederbuch Wolf   With Joan Rodgers, soprano, Roger Vignoles, piano. 2012 Champs Hill Records  CHRCD054

The Isles of Greece (from the CD 'Wild Cyclamen')  Hugh Wood   With Iain Burnside, piano. 2014 NMC Recordings

Time and the Seasons from A Portrait of Robert Saxton  Saxton  with Andrew West, piano. 2014 Métier msv 28624

Dylan -  The Drowning of Capel Celyn   Stimpson   With Sioned Williams, harp. 2006/2015  Stone Records

Songs  Mahler arr. Schoenberg With Susan Platts, mezzo-soprano, Charles Reid, tenor, Attacca Quartet,  Virginia Arts Festival Chamber Players, Joann Falletta  2015  Naxos 8.573536

Twelve Sets of English Lyrics - Volume 1    Parry  With Susan Gritton, soprano, James Gilchrist, tenor, Andrew West, piano. 2015 Somm  SOMMCD 257

The Songs of Donald Swann With Dame Felicity Lott, soprano, Kathryn Rudge, mezzo-soprano, John Mark Ainsley, tenor, Christopher Glynn, piano. 2015/2016 Hyperion  CDA68172

Twelve Sets of English Lyrics - Volume 2    Parry  With Sarah Fox, soprano, James Gilchrist, tenor, Andrew West, piano. 2017 Somm  SOMMCD 270

Twelve Sets of English Lyrics - Volume 3    Parry  With Sarah Fox, soprano, Andrew West, piano. 2017 Somm  SOMMCD 272

Man and Bat Skempton  Ensemble 360  2017  First Hand Records  FHR90

Romanzen aus Die Schöne Magelone / Vier ernste Gesänge Brahms  With Roger Vignoles, piano. 2017 Champs Hill Records  CHRCD108

Winter Journey  Schubert's Winterreise in an English version by Jeremy Sams   With Christopher Glynn, piano. 2017 Signum  SIGCD531

Those Blue Remembered Hills   Songs by Gurney, Howells   With the Bridge Quartet, Michael Dussek, piano   2018  EM Records

Die Schöne Müllerin Schubert  With Iain Burnside, piano. 2018 Chandos  CHAN 20113

The Song of Love songs by Vaughan Williams   With Kitty Whately, mezzo-soprano, Williams Vann, piano  2018   Albion    ALBCD037

Time and Space songs by Holst and Vaughan Williams   With Mary Bevan, soprano, Williams Vann, Jack Liebeck, violin. 2018 Albion   ALBCD038

Schwanengesang/ An die ferne Geliebte Schubert/Beethoven  With Iain Burnside, piano. 2019 Chandos  CHAN 20126

Maud - A Shropshire Lad    Somervell  With Susie Allan, piano. 2019 Somm  SOMMCD 0615

Schwanengesang   Schubert  An die ferne Geliebte  Beethoven  With Iain Burnside, piano. 2020 Chandos  20126

Birdsong  Songs by Brahms, Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, Beamish   With Andrew West, piano. 2020 Somm  SOMMCD 0633

Folk Songs Volume 1  Vaughan Williams  With Mary Bevan, soprano, Nicky Spence, tenor, Jack Liebeck, violin, William Vann, piano. 2020 Albion Records  ALBCD042

Folk Songs Volume 2  Vaughan Williams   With Mary Bevan, soprano, Nicky Spence, tenor, Thomas Gould, violin, Williams Vann, piano. 2020 Albion Records  ALBCD043

Folk Songs Volume 3 Vaughan Williams   With Mary Bevan, soprano, Nicky Spence. tenor, Williams Vann, piano 2020  Albion Records  ALBCD044

Folk Songs Volume 4 Vaughan Williams   With Mary Bevan, soprano, Nicky Spence, tenor, William Vann, piano  2020  Albion Records  ALBCD045

Winterreise   Schubert  With Iain Burnside, piano. 2021 Chandos CHAN 20163

Mirages: The Art of French Song    With Roger Vignoles, piano. 2021  Champs Hill Records  CHRCD159

Façade Walton   With Tamsin Dalley, The Orchestra of The Swan  cond. Bruce O'Neil 2021 Somm   SOMMCD 277

On This Shining Night Warlock, Barber, Beamish, Delius  With Sophie Bevan, soprano, James Gilchrist, tenor, the Coull Quartet  2021  Somm    SOMMCD 0654

Songs of William Busch   Busch and others  With Diana Moore, mezzo-sorano, Robin Tritschler, tenor, John Reid, piano. 2021 Lyrita  SRCD.409

Schubert in English Vol. 4 with Rowan Pierce, soprano, Christopher Glynn. 2022 Signum Classics  SIGCD770

Schumann in English Volume 1  with Ailish Tynan, soprano, Kathryn Rudge, mezzo soprano, and Christopher Glynn, piano. 2022 Signum Classics  SIGCD782

Sounds and Sweet Airs - a Shakespeare Songbook with Carolyn Sampson, soprano, Joseph Middleton, piano. 2023 BIS Records  BIS-2653

Vaughan Williams: a Birthday Garland with Susie Allan, Piano. 2023 Somm Recordings  SOMMCD 0683

Oratorio, cantata and other orchestral and choral works

Shield of Faith  Bliss    Finzi Singers dir. Paul Spicer 1991  Chandos  CHAN 8980

In terra pax Frank Martin  London Philharmonic, Brighton Festival Chorus cond Matthias Bamert  1995  Chandos CHAN 9465

The Hag/Two songs of Robert Bridges Frank Bridge  BBC National Orchestra of Wales  cond. Richard Hickox 2003  Chandos CHAN 10246

Mass of the Children Rutter   The Cambridge Singers, Cantate Youth Choir, City of London Sinfonia  cond. John Rutter 2003  Collegium Records  COLCD 129

The Crucifixion Stainer  Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra, Guildford Camerata  cond. Barry Rose 2003  Lammas Records LAMM 154D

Christopher Columbus - A Musical Journey Walton  BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales  cond. Richard Hickox 2004  Chandos  CHSA 5034

The Apostles Elgar  Canterbury Choral Society, Philharmonia Orchestra  cond. Richard Cooke 2005  Quartz  QTZ 2017

Fantasia on Christmas Carols/The First Nowell/On Christmas Night Vaugan Williams  City of London Sinfonia cond Richard Hickox  2005  Chandos  CHAN 10385

Symphony No.1 - 'Oliver Cromwell' Rutland Boughton  BBC Concert Orchestra cond. Handley 2006   Dutton  CDLX 7185

Sir Patrick Spens Howells  Katy Butler, soprano, James Gilchrist, tenor, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra  cond. David Hill 2006  Naxos  8.570352

Five Poems of the Spirit Bairstow  With The Choir of St John's College, Cambridge, Britten Sinfonia  cond. David Hill 2007  Hyperion  CDA67497

Omar Khayyam Bantock  With Catherine Wyn-Rogers, mezzo-soprano, Toby Spence, tenor, BBC Symphony Chorus, BBC Symphony Orchestra  cond. Vernon Handley 2005/2007  Chandos  CHSA 5051(3)

Vespers Mozart  Requiem  Fauré   The Sixteen & Academy of St Martin in the Fields  cond. Harry Christophers  2007  Coro  CORI6057

In terra pax/ A spotless rose Finzi/Howells  With City of London Choir, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra con. Hilary Davan Wetton 2009  Vaxos  8.572102

Pageant of Empire/Sea Pictures Elgar, Lights Out Gurney Shore Leave Hurd BBC Concert Orchewstra cond. Martin Yates 2009  Epoch  CDLX 7243

Sea Drift/Cynara Delius  Hallé Orchestra, Choir and Youth Choir  cond. Sir Mark Elder 2011/12  CD HLL 7535

Ring Dance of the Nazarene/The Moth Requiem Birtwistle  BBC Singers, The Nash Ensemble cond. Nicholas Kok 2013  Signum Classoc  SIGCD368

Falling Nan/Movie House/Songs of Innocence Kenneth Fuchs  London Symphony Orchestra cond JoAnn Falletta  2013  Naxos 8.559753

Aftertones/No Man's Land Colin Matthews  Hallé Choir and Orchestra  cond. Nicholas Collon 2014  CD HLL 7538

Requiem da Camera Finzi  London Mozart Players  cond. Hilary Davan Wetton  2014  Naxos  8.573426

Israel in Egypt Handel  Nederlands Kamerkoor Le Concert Lorrain cond. Roy Goodman 2014 ET'CETERA

Three Nocturnes Vaughan Williams   BBC Symphony Orchestra  cond. Martyn Brabbins  2015  Albion Records

Israel in Agypten Handel/Mendelssohn  With Choir of the King's Consort, The King's Consort, cond. Robert King 2015  VIVAT 111

Fantasia on Christmas Carols Vaughan Williams  With the Choir of Magdalen College Oxford, cond. Daniel Hyde 2016  Opus Arte  OA CD9022

Songs Elgar  BBC Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Sir Andrew Davis 2017  Chandos  CHSA 5188

Choral Symphony Dyson  Bach Choir, Bournmouth Symphony Orchestra dir. David Hill 2017  Naxos  8.573770

Four Last Songs Vaughan Williams  Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra cond Sir Andrew Davis  2017  Chandos CHSA 5186

Dream Song Daniel Kidane  Chineke! Orchestra and Chorus cond. Anthony Parnther 2018  NMC Recordings NMC D250

L'Enfance du Christ Berlioz  Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Chorus  cond. Sir Andrew Davis 2018  Chandos  CHSA 5228(2)

Songs of Travel Vaughan Williams  Royal Scottish National Orchestra  cond. Martin Yates 2018  Dutton Epoch  CDLX 7359

Emgland, my England Vaughan Williams  BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus cond. Martyn Brabbins 2019  Hyperion  CDA68396

Messiah Handel  Rias Kammerchor Berlin  Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin cond. Justin Doyle 2020   PENTATONE

Christmas Oratorio James MacMillan  London Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir cond. Sir Mark Elder 2021  LC 25251

A Shropshire Lad: English Songs orchestsrated by Roderick Williams Various composers   The Hallé Orchestra  cond. Sir Mark Elder 2022 Siemens CD HLL 7559

Da Vinci Requiem Cecilia McDowall  City of London Sinfonia cond. Neil Ferris 2022  Signum Classics  SIGCD749

Suite from Wuthering Heights Bernard Herrmann  Singapore Symphony Orchestra cond. Mario Venzago 2022  Chandos  CHSA 5337

Eine Messe ses Lebens Delius  Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir and Collegioum Musicum Choir  cond. Sir Mark Elder 2022  LAWO  LWC1265

La Belle Dame Quilter/Holst/O'Neill/Scott  BBC Concert Ordchestra  cond. John Andrews  2023  EM Records

One World Karl Jenkins  World Orchestra for Peace cond. Sir Karl Jenkins 2023  UMG Recordings 4839748

The Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla The Official Album  2023   Decca

Opera

Ned Keene: Peter Grimes Britten  City of London Sinfonia  cond. Richard Hickox 1995  Chandos CHAN 94477/8

Obstinate, Watchful, First Shepherd: The Pilgrim's Progress  Vaughan Williams  Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal House  cond. Richard Hickox 1997  Chandos  CH 9625(2)

Prince Andrey Bolkonsky: War and Peace Prokofiev  Spoleto Festival Orchestra  cond. Richard Hickox 1999 Chandos  9855

Gallanthus: The Poisoned Kiss Vaughan Williams  BBC National Orchestra of Wales cond. Richard Hickox 2003  Chandos  CHAN 10120(2)

Rôle uncredited: A Hand of Bridge Barber  Royal Scottish National Orchestra cond. Marin Alsop 2003  Naxos 8.559135

Head Reaper: Ruth Lennox Berkeley  City of London Sinfonia  cond. Richard Hickox 2003  Chandos  CHAN 10301

The Earl of Dunmow: A Dinner Engagement Lennox Berkeley  City of London Sinfonia  cond. Richard Hickox 2003  Chandos  CHAN 10219

Mercury: The Judgment of Paris  Eccles  Early Opera Company cond. Christian Curnyn 2008  Chandos CHAN 0759

Wandering Jew: The Wandering Jew Saxton  BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Singers cond André de Ridder  2008/09  NMC Recordings  NMC D170

Harlequin Ariadne on Naxos  Richard Strauss  Scottish Chamber Orchestra  cond Sir Richard Armstrong  2010  Chandos  CHAN 3168(2)

Captain Balstrode: Peter Grimes  Britten  Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and Choirs  cond. Edward Gardner 2019  Chandos  CHSA 5250(2)

Composition
Williams was commissioned by the Financial Times in 2014 to compose a Christmas carol, 'Christmas Bells', a setting of a poem by Longfellow. It was premiered by the Godwine Choir at St George the Martyr church in Southwark, London. His choral orchestral setting of Keats' To Autumn was commissioned by the Waynflete Singers in 2019 and was premiered in Winchester Cathedral on 16 October 2021.