Song at Wolfson: Helen Charlston & Sholto Kynoch (first performance)
10 June 2021, 18:00 - 19:05
Concert


Please note: this page is for the first performance at 6pm: if you wish to book tickets for the 8pm performance, please click here.
Helen Charlston is a thrilling young mezzo-soprano, recently described by Gramophone Magazine as ‘mesmerising’ and by the Daily Telegraph as ‘warmly distinctive’. She recently made an astonishing reimagining of the video of Coldplay’s ‘The Scientist’ using ‘Dido’s Lament’ by Purcell (see it here) with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and her new CD Isolation Songbook has been widely acclaimed.
She and Sholto Kynoch begin with a group of songs by Clara Schumann, a set of exquisitely crafted masterpieces. Following this, they include songs by Johannes Brahms (who was infatuated with Clara Schumann) that perfectly demonstrate his great gift for melody aligned with his sensitive word-setting. At the centre of their programme is a cycle by that great master of English song, Gerald Finzi’s O Fair to See, that includes settings of Hardy, Rossetti, Gurney and others. They also include songs by Britten and Clarke. As always, Helen and Sholto will introduce this wonderful programme.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
This performance will be in-person only, with a limited number of tickets to allow social distancing as per the current government guidelines.
As per government guidance you are permitted to attend this event with up to six people from multiple households, or more than six if these people are limited to two households. Please arrive at the venue together to take your seats.
Programmes are included in your ticket price and you will find these on your seats.
Everyone is expected to wear a face covering indoors unless they are exempt from doing so.
If you are displaying symptoms of Covid-19 on the day of the concert, please do not attend, but get in touch with our box office to arrange a refund.
The performance duration is one hour and there will be no interval.
To see more information about our Covid-19 safety measures, please click here.
Please provide a current email address when booking, as we shall be in touch before the concert to confirm the above arrangements and any other specific details to ensure the safety of all in attendance.
Programme
Clara Schumann (1819 - 1896)
Sechs Lieder (Op. 13)
-
Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897)
Wie Melodien (Op. 105 no.1) from Fünf Lieder (Op. 105) - Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer (Op. 105 no.2) from Fünf Lieder (Op. 105)
- Feldeinsamkeit (Op. 86 no.2) from Sechs Lieder
-
Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856)
Arabesque (Op. 18) Gerald Finzi (1901 - 1956)
Oh fair to see (song cycle) (Op. 13b)
- 1. I say I'll seek her
- 2. Oh, fair to see
- 3. As I lay in the early sun
- 4. Only the wanderer
- 5. To joy
- 6. Harvest
- 7. Since we loved
-
Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976)
How sweet the answer -
Aaron Copland (1900 - 1990)
Nature, the gentlest mother from Twelve poems of Emily Dickinson -
Rebecca Clarke (1886 - 1979)
Down by the Salley Gardens -
Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976)
The Last Rose of Summer from Irish Folk Song Arrangements

Helen Charlston
Helen Charlston
Mezzo-soprano
Hailed “a rather special mezzo” (Music Web International), Helen is a young artist increasingly in demand in the UK and abroad. Recent concert highlights include debuts with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (Handel Messiah/Stephen Layton), Royal Northern Sinfonia (Mendelssohn Lobgesang/Paul McCreesh) and at the Palau de la Musica in Barcelona (Bach Matthew Passion/Gabrieli Consort and Players); a worldwide tour of Handel Messiah with the Seattle Symphony, the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra and Adelaide Symphon... Read Full Biography
Sholto Kynoch
Sholto Kynoch
Pianist
Sholto Kynoch is a sought-after pianist who specialises in song and chamber music. He is the founder and Artistic Director of the Oxford Lieder Festival, which won a prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Award in 2015, cited for its ‘breadth, depth and audacity’ of programming. In July 2018, Sholto was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in the RAM Honours. Recent recitals have taken him to Wigmore Hall, Heidelberger Frühling in Germany, the Zeist International Lied Festival in Holland, the LIFE Victoria festi... Read Full BiographyThis event is part of a series:
2021 Events
Our 2021 season includes the following events - 27 & 28 February - Winter into Spring This event will be livestreamed only. 18 May - A Schubertiade: The Seasons in Song 1 (6pm) This event will be in-person only with social distancing according to government guidelines. 18 May - A Schubertiade: The Seasons in Song 2 (8pm) This event will be i...