Autumn Leaves & Trembling Trees

When the clocks go back and the nights get even darker....join &Piano on Sunday 26th October at St John's Church, Golcar, when Autumn is well and truly underway, for a sublime and atmospheric recital of songs that celebrate the season - falling leaves, dark and stormy nights, Halloween & All Souls Eve!

From Britten to Gurney, Mendelssohn to Strauss, Rachmaninoff to Wolf, spooky images, stories, themes and significant days have been a vivid source of inspiration for many composers. And we're delighted to welcome rising star Phoebe Smith (who sang for our &Piano School Recital Tour last year), originally from Hebden Bridge, accompanied by Artistic Director Christopher Pulleyn.

Join us to get in the spirit of the season and enjoy a fantastic afternoon of beautiful song! Refreshments served after the interval.

Charles Ives - Maple Leaves

Clara Schumann - Geheimes Flüstern hier und dort (Secret whisperings here and there)

Alice Beckwith - Mist

Richard Strauss - Die Nacht

Sergei Rachmaninoff - Before My Window

Benjamin Britten - 'How Beautiful It Is' from The Turn of the Screw

Ivor Gurney - Sleep

Eric Korngold - Nachtwanderer (Night wanderer)

Hugo Wolf - Elfenlied (Elf Song)

Gabriel Fauré - Aprés un rêve (After a Dream)

Sergei Rachmaninoff - Loneliness

Cecil Armstrong Gibbs - A Song of Shadows

Franz Joseph Haydn - The Spirit's Song

Claude Debussy - Apparition

Leonard Bernstein - Somewhere

Cecil Armstrong Gibbs - Five Eyes

John Duke Woods - The Grunchin' Witch

Felix Mendelssohn - Hexenlied (Witches Song)

Richard Strauss - Allerseelen (All Souls)

Benjamin Britten - Oliver Cromwell

Soprano Phoebe Smith, holds a Master of Arts with Distinction from The Royal Academy of Music, under the tutelage of Giles Underwood. Phoebe has just finished singing the lead role of Princess Ida with The National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company this summer, where she was praised for her “purity of voice and amazing breath control” (Seen and Heard). This season she also covered the role of Adele in Die Fledermaus at The Grange Festival.

Other operatic highlights include the 2024 Autumn tour of The Snowmaiden with English Touring Opera. With ETO, Phoebe also played Milly in The Wellies, an opera for SEND children on tour and at The Royal Opera House for their Family Sunday series. With The National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company, she has performed roles such as, Josephine HMS Pinafore, Edith The Pirates of Penzance and Kate The Yeomen of the Guard. Other engagements include, Associate Artist with Nevill Holt Opera; Barbarina Le Nozze di Figaro with Hampstead Garden Opera; and Pamina The Magic Flute with The Little Opera Group.
Phoebe is generously supported by Opera Prelude.