
Helen Charlston mezzo
Pawel Siwczak harpsichord
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An exclusive preview for Wandsworth Arts Fringe guests and for Our Supporters.
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PREVIEW: Sing on, sing on!
A recital of 17-century songs
Duration approx. 20 min
Henry Purcell (1659 – 1695)
If music be the food of love
Barbara Strozzi (1619 – 1677)
La Travagliata
Claudio Monteverdi (1567 – 1643)
Voglio di vita uscir
Henry Purcell
Evening Hymn
Additional content available in full concert later:
Henry Purcell – The cares of lovers
Claudio Monteverdi – Si dolce tormento
Barbara Strozzi – L’eraclito Amoroso
Artists’ conversation about the music
Programme notes
No more than ever do we need music: the food of love, as Shakespeare so eloquently put it. As musicians we are called on to sing and play through joy and love to fear and despair. We follow this call to arms through music of the baroque by Henry Purcell, Barbara Strozzi and Claudio Monteverdi.
The Artists

Helen Charlston
mezzo

Pawel Siwczak
harpsichordist, fortepianist
Helen Charlston
Hailed “a rather special mezzo” (Music Web International), Helen is a young artist increasingly in demand in the UK and abroad.
Recent concert highlights include debuts with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (Handel Messiah/Stephen Layton), Royal Northern Sinfonia (Mendelssohn Lobgesang/Paul McCreesh) and at the Palau de la Musica in Barcelona (Bach Matthew Passion/Gabrieli Consort and Players); a worldwide tour of Handel Messiah with the Seattle Symphony, the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra and Adelaide Symphony Orchestra; performances as part of Barbican Sound Unbound 2019 and solo recitals at York Early Music Festival, London Handel Festival, Händel-festspiele Halle, Korčula Baroque Festival, Leicester International Music Festival and Fitzrovia Festival.
Helen won First Prize in the 2018 Handel Singing Competition, was a Rising Star of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment for 2017-19 and is a 2018 City Music Foundation Artist.
Pawel Siwczak
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Sharing the gift of music
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