Kitty Whately mezzo-soprano
Sarah-Jane Bradley viola
Libby Burgess piano
Johannes Brahms Two songs for voice, viola & piano Op 91
Clara Schumann Sie liebten sich beide; Ihr Bildnis; Lorelei
Frank Bridge Three songs for voice, viola & piano
Frank Bridge Adoration
Rebecca Clarke The Seal Man; Lethe
Judith Weir Song of a girl ravished away by the fairies in South Uist
Juliana Hall Godiva – monodrama for mezzo-soprano & piano on a libretto by Caitlin Vincent (*world premiere*)
Chamber music meets storytelling in this journey woven through tales of folklore and love, featuring former BBC New Generation Artist Kitty Whately and Libby Burgess.
Rebecca Clarke’s haunting music has in recent years begun to achieve the recognition it deserves: her spine-chilling Seal Man and eerie Lethe amply demonstrate why. Judith Weir, Master of the Queen’s Music, displays her Scottish heritage in the folk-infused setting of the Gaelic Song of a girl ravished away by the fairies in South Uist.
American composer Juliana Hall is a prolific composer of vocal music, whose songs have been described as “brilliant” (Washington Post) and “beguiling” (Times); we are honoured to be presenting the premiere of her monodrama for mezzo-soprano and piano, Godiva. Outstanding violist Sarah-Jane Bradley joins for impassioned and richly rewarding songs by Bridge and Brahms, while Clara Schumann’s Lieder gems are represented in this her 200th anniversary year.
