A Lesson In Love, Kate Royal (soprano) Malcolm Martineau (piano)

Give Malcolm Martineau a Steinway Grand, a portfolio of quality songs and a Class A singer and you have a glorious concert, every time. He really enjoyed Kate Royal’s collection and together they passed their delight in this musical poetry on to the audience. There were so many situations and moods, all perfectly characterised, playful or tragic. Being about LOVE, most of the songs were plaintive or bitter-sweet but some were ecstatic or even saucy, albeit tucked away behind German, French or Swedish words. My favourites? Debussy’s ‘Apparition’ and the encore ‘Danny Boy’, so beautiful nothing could possibly follow it.

Royal Pavilion Music Room, 22 May 2012

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