Wigmore Hall36 Wigmore Street, London, Greater London, W1U 2BP, United Kingdom
Dates/times in London time zone
| Tuesday 16 March 2027 | 13:00 |
Programme
| Dowland, John (1563-1626) | In darkness let me dwell | |
| Dowland, John (1563-1626) | Come again! Sweet love doth now invite | |
| Dowland, John (1563-1626) | White as lilies was her face | |
| Dowland, John (1563-1626) | My thoughts are winged with hopes, Sir John Souch's Galliard | |
| Dowland, John (1563-1626) | Flow, my tears (Lacrimae Pavane) | |
| Traditional | Plum Blossoms in Three Variations (solo guitar) | |
| Schubert, Franz (1797-1828) | Ständchen, D.957d | |
| Schubert, Franz (1797-1828) | Die Mainacht (Hölty), D.194 | |
| Schubert, Franz (1797-1828) | Der König in Thule (Goethe), D.367 | |
| Schubert, Franz (1797-1828) | An die Musik, in D major, D.547 | |
| Traditional | White Snow in the Spring Sunlight (solo guitar) | |
| Argento, Dominick (1927-2019) | Letters from Composers, for voice and guitar (Schubert; Chopin) | |
| Xu, Changjun (b. 1957) | Sword Dance (solo guitar) | |
| Britten, Benjamin (1913-1976) | Songs from the Chinese for soprano or tenor and guitar, Op.58 |
Performers
| Xuefei Yang | Guitar |
| Ian Bostridge | Tenor |
Songs from Our Ancestors is an original one-hour programme for tenor Ian Bostridge and guitarist Xuefei Yang that reflects the musical ancestry of the two performers. Drawing on the Western and Eastern traditions that have shaped their musical inheritance, the programme traces a journey across four centuries, bringing together songs by Dowland, Schubert, Argento and Britten with Chinese solo guitar interludes from corresponding historical periods. Culminating in Britten’s Songs from the Chinese, setting texts from the ancient Book of Songs, the programme offers a personal and imaginative exploration of cultural memory and the enduring power of words set to music.
Tickets: £20 (concessions £18)
