London Song Festival 2012

The only major annual event in London devoted entirely to the song repertoire. A series of song recitals and concerts featuring major artists alongside the best young talent from the UK and overseas. specially commissioned works from exciting young composers. There's master-classes in the song repertoire given by World-class artists. The concerts will take place at St Paul's Church, Covent Garden, London throughout the month of November 2012.

The 2012 London Song Festival will be devoted to English Song. Singers taking part will include baritones Roderick Williams, Marcus Farnsworth (Winner of the 2009 Wigmore Hall International Song Competition), Benedict Nelson and David Stout, mezzo soprano Louise Winter, sopranos Anna Leese and Laura Casey and counter-tenor Iestyn Morris.

Line-up

Concert 1

Wednesday 31st October: English and American Comedy Songs with Laura Wolk-Lewanowicz (soprano).

Concert 2

Wednesday 7th November: Distant and Mystical Lands: Songs of the Imagination and of Dreams with Maire Flavin (mezzo-soprano) and Roderick Williams (baritone). Programme includes John Ireland's Land of Lost Content, settings of Mignon, rare Celtic songs by Arnold Bax and Songs from the Chinese by Granville Bantock.

Concert 3

Wednesday 14th November: The Vasnier Songbook with Anna Devin (soprano) and Gillian Keith (soprano). A performance of Debussy's complete Vasnier Songbook, including some unpublished material from the Bibliotheque National in Paris and the Library of Congress in Washington. Debussy wrote these songs for the married soprano Marie-Blanche Vasnier with whom he enjoyed an affair from 1880 to 1887.

Concert 4

Wednesday 21st November: Delius and his World with Yvonne Kenny (soprano). Programme of songs by Delius in the context of his friends and contemporaries including Grieg, Debussy, Brahms, Bax, Quilter and C W Orr.

Concert 5

Friday 23rd November: A Celebration of John Ireland (d. 1962) and Samuel Coleridge-Tayloer (d. 1912) with Sylvie Bedouelle (mezzo-soprano) and Andrew Glover (tenor) Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was an Anglo-African composer who died aged 37 having fought racism, found fame as the composer of Hiawatha's Wedding Feast and since sunk into unjustified neglect. John Ireland is one of England's most characteristic composers of Song.

Concert 6

Wednesday 28th November: Songs of Travel and Nightfall with BBC New Generation Artist Ruby Hughes (soprano) and Jonathan McGovern (baritone). Programme includes Debussy Cinq Poemes de Baudelaire, John Ireland Songs of a Wayfarer, Mahler Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, and songs by Schubert.

All concerts take place in the church of St Paul, Covent Garden and begin at 7.30pm.

Tickets

Tickets are priced at £15 and £10 (concessions). To buy tickets, click here.

More information will be here when available.

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