Oxford Song: La Bonne Chanson
Oxford International Song Festival 2024 – Cities of Song
La Bonne Chanson
Nicky Spence, tenor
Julius Drake, pianist
The Piatti String Quartet
Generously supported by the Kowitz Family Foundation
The phenomenal tenor Nicky Spence is known as one of the most charismatic figures of classical music. He was awarded ‘Personality of the Year’ by BBC Music Magazine in 2022, is a former winner of the BBC Music Magazine Vocal Award, and Gramophone’s Solo Vocal Award. For the closing concert of this year’s Festival, he joins forces with the pre-eminent pianist Julius Drake and one of the UK’s finest string quartets. Together they perform Fauré’s great cycle La Bonne Chanson, which sets the poetry of Paul Verlaine. Marcel Proust was an early fan, writing that ‘it appears needlessly complex … but I don’t care, I adore it!’ After this, a series of tributes in song, with works by Schubert, Vaughan Williams, Poulenc, Coward and others, provide a truly exuberant finale.
Oxford International Song Festival runs Friday 11 October to Saturday 26 October. The programme is full of variety – talks, concerts, workshops – and events are held at venues across the city. See their website for the details.