Monday 25th February 2019
7:30pm at the Penrith Methodist Church
Tickets: £16 (students £2), at the door or in advance.

You could listen to Lady Gaga or any other pop diva (Is Justin Bieber a pop divo?) belt out some brash, loud – (it always is amplified), motorically relentless, techno-engineered song with a range of about five notes and possibly up to 4 chords, relentlessly broadcast by innumerable radio stations . . .

Or you could come and hear two very talented musicians perform Schubert’s final, exquisitely-set and artless songs collected together as, literally, his Swansong.

Penrith Music Club’s next concert is on Monday 25th February at 7:30 p.m. in Penrith Methodist Church, where Philip Smith (baritone), accompanied by Siobhain O’Higgins will also perform a wide variety of settings of Shakespeare, from Madelaine Dring’s delicate setting of ‘It was a lover’ to the wilder elements of Peter Warlock’s ‘Sweet and Twenty’, taking in the late romantic Korngold and the perfection of Roger Quilter’s quintessentially English style.

Philip Smith was looking after the re-introduction of otters to our countryside before he decided to hang up his waders and start a successful career singing. He has established himself on the European stage in a variety of roles. His accompanist for the evening is Siobhain O’Higgins, who has made something of a speciality of accompanying – indeed won awards – as well as performing in her own right.

Now, don’t get me wrong; I enjoy the occasional burst of loud pop music, but this concert gathers together songs of an all-together more interesting and often far more emotional content than any pop song, delivered with style and simplicity by two exceptional musicians.

Tickets at £16 (students £2) are available from Lakeland Music, Beckside Books and the Tourist Information Centre in Penrith, or at the door.

Programme

More about Philip Smith and Siobhan O’Higgins

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