Down by the Salley Gardens

Tim Mead, countertenor

Claude Weber, piano

Countertenor Tim Mead is praised for his “alluring” and “consistently excellent” interpretations (New York Times). With his “rich, mellifluous sound” (Guardian), he is recognised as one of the finest across the generations of countertenors.

This programme wants to take you on an impressive and varied journey through English song, from the Edwardian aesthetic and very English sound of Quilter and early Vaughan Williams to the highly expressive style of Howells and with a strong focus on works by women composers. Early English repertoire as well as folksongs arranged by British composers like Benjamin Britten are a sign of their engagement with their musical heritage.

Songs by Henry Purcell, Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, Ethel Smyth, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Roger Quilter, Helen Buchholtz, John Ireland, Rebecca Clarke, Herbert Howells, Peter Warlock, Muriel Herbert, Elizabeth Maconchy, Benjamin Britten, Madeleine Dring, Sir John Phillip William Dankworth, Betty Roe, Joseph Phibbs