Nicky Spence

Journeys in Song: The Manchester Song Festival returns for its second year in spring 2020, with a full day of musical participation and discovery culminating in a recital by celebrated baritone Roderick Williams. 1pm RNCM Songsters Performance 3pm Britten St Nicolas Performance with Nicky Spence 4.30pm Nicky Spence Masterclass 7.30pm Roderick Williams Performance The journey starts at 1pm with a lunchtime concert by the Royal Northern College of Music Songsters, a specially selected group of gifted singers and pianists who share a passion for song repertoire, and present programmes of flair and imagination. They perform a colourful journey across Europe and beyond, to lands exotic and enchanting, performing works by Robert Schumann, Wolf, Finzi and Barber. At 3pm students from Chetham’s School of Music and the Greater Manchester Music Hubs will perform Britten’s St Nicolas with tenor soloist Nicky Spence. We journey through the life of the famous Saint – his birth and childhood, an evocative sea voyage to Palestine, accounts of miracles he performed and his work in the early church. This is followed by a public masterclass as Nicky Spence works with Chetham’s students. Come for the day and take a sample vocal lesson with one of our Chetham’s School of Music vocal tutors. We finish up the day with baritone soloist Roderick Williams exploring songs of travel and journeying in a programme including well-loved lieder by Vaughan Williams, Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen and Schubert. Roderick was awarded an OBE in 2017 for his services to music and his career has taken him around the world performing and recording with the greatest musicians. The theme for the performance will bring the day’s events together into a programme packed full of songs in English and German relating to the theme of travel.