ChoralFest: Sophie Bevan MBE with Ryan Wigglesworth

This year’s ChoralFest opens with a recital of rare beauty and poetic depth, as internationally renowned soprano Sophie Bevan takes the stage with distinguished conductor, composer and pianist Ryan Wigglesworth.

The programme begins with Vier Lieder, Op. 27 by Richard Strauss — four radiant love songs given as a wedding gift to his wife, soprano Pauline de Ahna. From the brooding introspection of Ruhe, meine Seele! to the serene promise of Morgen!, this cycle forms a tender invocation to the week’s music-making.

Bevan then turns to the refined lyricism of Clara Schumann and the expressive intensity of Johanna Müller-Hermann, whose Fünf Lieder offer a rare glimpse into the emotional and musical richness of turn-of-the-century Vienna.

After the interval, we delve into the enchanted woods of Robert Schumann’s Liederkreis, Op. 39 — a deeply Romantic cycle of solitude, memory, and nature’s mystery, set to the poetry of Eichendorff. Bevan’s artistry brings these songs to life with emotional clarity and interpretive nuance, perfectly matched by Wigglesworth’s pianistic sensitivity.

7.30pm, Tuesday 29 July
Great Hall, Dartington
£10

You may also like the following events from Dartington Trust:

• This Friday, 25th July, 11:00 am, Garden Tours every Friday in Totnes
• This Friday, 25th July, 07:30 pm, Flamenco Fire in Totnes
• Next Monday, 28th July, 03:00 pm, Dartington ChoralFest 2025 in Totnes

Also check out other Music events in Totnes, Arts events in Totnes, Literary Art events in Totnes.