Down by the Pavilion Gardens – Lucinda Houghton (soprano), Sara Gourlay (mezzo soprano) & Howard Beach (piano)

Spring came early this year with a delightful programme full of favourite songs and some very welcome new ones too. There was an excellent balance of old and modern, lively and serious, all beautifully characterised and sensitively accompanied.

High spots for me were the songs I didn’t know. Madeleine Dring’s jazzy ‘It was a Lover and his Lass’ ranks with the best of Shakespeare arrangements. I’ll be looking for more.

The ‘Two Herrick Songs’ by Hove’s own Peter Copley were commissioned by Lucinda for Sara’s birthday – what an inspired gift!

Catch more recitals like this each Friday lunchtime this Spring.

Brighton Unitarian Church, 10 January 2014

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