Oxford May Music: Mary Bevan (soprano) and friends

A festival of song, in which star soprano Mary Bevan joins Jack, Paul and Daniel in a variety of combinations. Although Vaughan Williams is not noted for his songs, he wrote some wonderful ones, as in this cycle to words by AE Housman. Vaughan Williams introduced Holst to folk songs; the Op 35 set continue with the soprano/violin combination in a setting of medieval religious works. Schubert, surely the greatest composer of songs of all time, is represented by the famous 'Shepherd on the rock'. Pärt’s song is the inspiration for Kaupo Kikkas’ exhibition. We end with more superb Vaughan Williams, three songs without words composed in the last year of his life.