DELIGHTFUL EVENING OF MUSIC 

@ Bangor University

Powis Hall
24 September 2011

Raphaela Papadakis & Sholto Kynoch 

A delightful evening of music by composers whose works, although in abundance, tend to only be performed from a limited repertoire. Tonight's lineup by Raphaela and Sholto proved that there are plenty of beautiful works which remain on the shelf, rarely being heard in concerts. The mix of the familiar with some more unusual numbers brought a new appreciation to 19th-century and early 20th-century song and a reminder from Helen Abbot in the pre-concert talk that laughter during the performance was not only ok, but a part of the enjoyment of the music was especially welcomed during the flirtatious performances of Satie's La Diva de l'Empire, one of my favorites from the evening.

If the performance tonight was only a foretaste of what one might hear at The Oxford Lieder Festival, it will surely be a an exciting two weeks!