With the theme of Song, the Secret of Eternity, Leeds Lieder Festival returns from 5 to 12 April 2025 with a celebration of its 20th anniversary. Festival director Joseph Middleton describes it as “Our boldest and most colourful programme to date reflects the enduring appeal of song and its power to connect us across time and culture. With a line-up of performers who really have something to say, and innovative programmes, this Festival celebrates life, song, and its ability to explain some of the most profound aspects of the human condition.“
Two Schubert song cycles open and close the Festival, performed by two of the greatest exponents of the art form accompanied by festival director Joseph Middleton. Baritone Florian Boesch opens the week with Winterreise, while tenor Christoph Prégardien concludes with Die schöne Müllerin. Throughout the Festival, audiences will be treated to recitals by the finest British vocalists such as Alice Coote who is joined by pianist Julius Drake for their ‘Rebellious Recital’ which aims to challenge the very notion of the traditional song recital programme, Kitty Whately who is joined by pianist Natalie Burch for a relaxed lunchtime recital, Louise Alder who performs Mahler, and Strauss alongside Helen Grime including her Bright Travellers and the premiere of a festival commission, and Roderick Williams who with Andrew West brings ‘A touch of the exotic’.
The Erda Ensemble, Marta Fontanals-Simmons (mezzo-soprano), Chloe Vincent (flute), Olivia Jageurs (harp), present an homage to women in music and brewing at North Brewing with music from Chaminade, Ina Boyle, Harriet Adie, Amy Beach, Rosy Wertheim, Grace Williams, Anne Boyd, and Roxana Panufnik. In Our People, tenor Freddie Ballantyne and pianist Kunal Lahiry present a recital which is a passion produce born out of the strife of the Black Lives Matter movement, which moves from Schubert and Purcell, through Copland, Bolcom, and Margaret Bonds to John Musto, Ricky Ian Gordon and Nina Simone.
The much-acclaimed Leeds Songbook Project offering a living portrait of the city’s artistic landscape. The project marries stories about the people of Leeds, told in poems by the people of Leeds, set to music by composers invited to Leeds, and finally, performed by Leeds Lieder Young Artists. The showcase event connects Leeds communities and creates a lasting snapshot of song writing for future generations to enjoy.
There are masterclasses led by artists, including Festival President Elly Ameling, Sir Thomas Allen, Dame Felicity Lott, Amanda Roocroft, Julius Drake and Anna Tilbrook. A series of specially curated concerts will also highlight the next generation of musicians, including a Young Artist Showcase, Study Event based on Goethe, and a Late Night Lieder event, presenting the future of song in a relaxed and intimate setting.
The festival’s title this year comes from final song Egyptian soprano Fatma Said will sing in her eclectic programme – words by Khalil Gibran and music by Lebanese polymath Najib Hankash. The opening stanza reads:
“Give me a flute and sing,
For song is the secret of eternity,
And the sound of the flute remains
Beyond the end of existence.”
Full details from the festival website.
