New Recital Series

Song at St Mary-le-Bow is a seven-concert series established to encourage and support the current generation of rising stars. It is the first of its kind; the only independent song series in London UK devoted entirely to providing opportunities for young singers to perform in recital. Pianist Simon Lane, artistic director, says: 'Song at St Mary-le-Bow has been set up to fill a void within the musical concert scene in London. Young performers in particular suffer from a lack of opportunity to share their love and passion for the song repertoire. There is a great need for more exposure for this art-form and for audiences and up-and-coming young artists to be a part of the joy of song in recital.'

All the young musicians appearing in this inaugural year are already embarking on prize-winning performing careers. The artists in the first concert on 26 February include mezzo-soprano Karina Lucas, who has performed with Scottish Opera and Glyndebourne Touring Opera, and is soon to perform in recital at Wigmore Hall. Violist Rebecca Jones has had much success in international competitions both as a soloist and a chamber player (as the viola player of the Callino String Quartet).

Simon Lane will perform in most of the concerts over the year; a Park Lane Group Young Artist, he is in great demand as a chamber player and received excellent reviews for performances at the Purcell Room and Wigmore Hall. Young soprano Lucy Crowe, recently short-listed for the South Bank Show Breakthrough Award, will perform on 1 April with lieder and chamber music pianist Julius Drake, a supporter and champion of Song at St Mary-le-Bow.

The 6 May recital features Martene Grimson, fast emerging as one of the most exciting concert and operatic voices of her generation. Bass-baritone George Humphreys, performing on 10 June, has an impressive career both in concert and on the opera stage. David Butt Philip is much in demand; an award-winning baritone, he performs with Simon Lane on 30 September. Counter-tenor Iestyn Davies, described as 'an instinctive performer, the voice agile and elegantly controlled, the tone always deeply expressive' (Opera Magazine), will perform in the concert on 11 October.

The final concert of the series on 12 November 2008 features Allan Clayton with the Navarra Quartet and Simon Lane.

Song at St Mary-le-Bow recitals will feature a broad range of schools of composition, including songs by Purcell, Rachmaninov, Poulenc, Schumann and de Falla. There is to be a performance of Schubert's Die Schöne Müllerin, and other concerts include works by contemporary composers Nicola LeFanu, Rhian Samuel, and the gifted young Welsh composer, Gareth Peredur Churchill. The penultimate recital will focus on British song: a world première by Churchill is to be performed alongside songs by Butterworth, Purcell and Britten. To mark the 50th anniversary in 2008 of the death of Ralph Vaughan Williams, the final concert of the series will feature the song-cycle On Wenlock Edge for tenor and piano quintet.

The seven recitals will feature some of the most exciting talent of the emerging generation. They take place in Cheapside's historic St Mary-le-Bow Church, in the heart of London's financial district. Renowned for its 'Bow Bells' and famous Christopher Wren design, this landmark venue will provide an intimate setting for the performances given by these outstanding young musicians. Introductory talks by Richard Stokes will focus on the composers and poets whose works feature during the series, and give insight into the meaning behind the song settings.

Information: www.citysong.co.uk

Posted: 27 February 2008

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