Oxford Lieder Festival 2014 Schubert

Tonight, the start of the Oxford Lieder Festival 2014.  I won't be there, since I'm at Philip Glass Kafka, Music Theatre Wales, Linbury) but I'll be there in spirit.  I've been a Friend since the Festival got off the ground more than ten years ago.  Oxford Lieder isn't like ordinary festivals.The emphasis is on the joy of performance. This is close to the spirit of the original Schubertiades, where friends got together to enjoy and experience.  It's not just big starry names, but also up and coming and community.

There's a costumed Liederabend on Tuesday for which I've got a ticket although I'll be at I due Foscari at The Royal Opera House.  Welcome to anyone. I'm honoured to buy tickets and sponsor songs even though I can't go to nearly as much as I would like to. That's what being a true "Friend" is, caring about things and wishing the group well. Other extra tickets too include Saturday's Graham Johnson talk, which I can't make.

There's more on this site about Schubert and the Oxford Lieder Festival than any other site, so please explore. Here is what I wrote about this year's Schubert Project, the most ambitious Schubert Festival ever mounted in this country - all the songs and part songs, plus chamber works and other events connected to Schubert and to Oxford.