Britten,'The Holy Sonnets of John Donne' & Songs by Purcell, Beethoven & Brahms

Toby Spence (tenor)
Julian Milford (piano)

Britten – The Holy Sonnets of John Donne
Songs by Purcell, Beethoven and Brahms

Pre-concert talk given by Ian Partridge at 7.00pm free to ticket-holders

Toby Spence is one of the foremost British singers today. He and pianist Julian Milford perform Britten’s remarkable settings of John Donne: written in 1945 after Britten and Yehudi Menuhin had visited German concentration camps, these songs also show the influence of Purcell, one of Britten's favourite composers. Purcell features as well in a first half that dwells on evening and night, with songs by Beethoven, Schubert and Brahms.

PROGRAMME:

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

Abendbilder
Im Abendrot
Bei dir allein!
Des Fischers Liebesglück
Am Fenster

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
At the mid hour of night

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Ich liebe dich
Abendlied unterm gestirnten Himmel

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Wiegenlied
Abenddämmerung

Henry Purcell (1659-1695), arr. Britten
Evening Hymn

INTERVAL

Benjamin Britten
The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, Op. 35

1. Oh my blacke soule!
2. Batter my heart
3. O might those sighes and teares
4. Oh, to vex me
5. What if this present
6. Since she whom I loved
7. At the round earth's imagined corners
8. Thou hast made me
9. Death, be not proud