Oxford Lieder: Nordic Spirits

Joanna Harries mezzo-soprano

Sholto Kynoch piano

The outstanding mezzo-soprano Joanna Harries presents this glorious programme of Romantic songs that looks north for inspiration. As the centrepiece, she and pianist Sholto Kynoch perform Grieg’s stunning, folk-infused cycle Haugtussa, that follows the mysterious young herding girl Haugtussa and her first love affair. They also include songs by Grieg’s contemporary and compatriot Agathe Backer-Grøndahl and the great Swedish Romantic composer Wilhelm Stenhammar, alongside a selection of songs by Clara Schumann.

Joanna Harries is a 2021/22 Young Artist at the National Opera Studio in London. She was a choral scholar at the University of Cambridge and went on to train at the Royal Northern College of Music and the Alexander Gibson Opera Studio at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Joanna is a former Britten-Pears Young Artist and Handel House Talent artist, a current Opera Prelude Young Artist and was awarded the first Edith Brass Prize for Lieder at the RCS.

Doors: 5:30pm
Performance time: 6pm – 7pm

Join us after the performance for a glass of prosecco and the chance for a Q&A with the performers.

Event end 7:30pm

The full programme is below:

Clara Schumann
Was weinst du, Blümlein? (Op.23, No.1)
Lorelei
Ich stand in dunklen Träumen (Op.13, No.1)
Walzer

Edvard Grieg
Haugtussa

1. Det syng

2. Veslemøy

3. Blåbær-Li

4. Møte

5. Elsk

6. Killingdans

7. Vond Dag

8. Ved Gjætle-Bekken

Wilhelm Stenhammar
Vid fönstret (Op.20, No.2)
Til en ros (Op.8, No. 4)
Jungfru blond och Jungfru brunett (Op.26, No. 4)

Agathe Backer-Grøndahl
Den vildene fugl (Op.65, No.1)
Forsilde (Op.65, No.2)
Sjaerer (Op.52, No.6)
Mot Kveld (Op.42, No.7)

Full texts and translations will be provided.