Songs of Winter: Steven van der Linden (tenor) and Claire Habbershaw (piano)

"Come to Schober's today and I will play you a cycle of terrifying songs; they have affected me more than has ever been the case with any other songs."

The tale of a young man who feels betrayed by love and nature: isolated, wandering through an icy wasteland, the same land that was once so dear to him. The haunting beauty of Schubert's Winterreise, written when the young composer was suffering from syphilis, has inspired many a great composer to write winter' cycles of their own. The differences and similarities between the first half Schubert's masterpiece are here played alongside selections from Britten's settings of Hardy's poetry in Winter Words and Dove's response to Britten's cycle, Out of Winter.

This concert is in aid of Royal National Institute of the Blind, in memory of John Henry. All profits will go to RNIB and donations will be welcome. This concert is kindly sponsored by Action Dry Ltd.