Visions of Valhalla

"These poems make a marvellous read: singly, a few at a time, or in one read-through. Of all the writers on things Wagnerian, poets have tended the most towards flowery, reverent adulation. But not John Davidson. His poems - impressions and soliloquies as much as poems - are honest, witty, and very contemporary. Yet all through the collection, a leitmotif of hommage can be heard. In the end, Wagner (and the poet) stand revealed through a uniquely satisfying music of words." ~ Heath Lees "Richard Wagner referred to himself repeatedly as a poet rather than as a composer and would surely have been delighted to find himself the subject of a volume of poetry. John Davidson's poems evince a deep love and knowledge of Wagner and his works: avoiding both hagiography and sentimentality, he makes us think about the subject in new ways - the mark of a true poet. This volume will doubtless appeal to committed Wagnerians but deserves to find an audience beyond them too." ~ Barry Millington