Songs for Our Times - Metropolis: UK Premiere at St Bride's Church, London on Tuesday 24th June 2025

Songs for Our Times - Metropolis

UK Premiere

Add to my Calendar 24-06-2025 13:15 24-06-2025 15:15 36 Songs for Our Times - Metropolis World premiere performance of ‘Metropolis’, six songs by British composer Bernard Hughes and lyricist Chinwe D John, expressing the hopes and challenges of our rapidly changing world. These songs, touching on diverse themes, such as global war, displacement and romantic love, bring the emotional essence of our shared experience into stark and beautiful view, and capture the pulse of a modern metropolis. Soprano Isabelle Haile and pianist Asako Ogawa infuse their sublime artistry through the songs, creating an unforgettable musical experience. This free lunchtime concert also includes music by Francis Poulenc, chosen to complement the songs. Metropolis appears on the album ‘Songs for Our Times’, released to critical acclaim in 2023 on the Divine Art label. The original project was Chinwe D John's own: passionate about the need for classical music to expand its base and to respond to the challenges facing UK-based musicians during the 2020 pandemic, she reached out to composers Bernard Hughes and Stuart MacRae, and pianist Christopher Glynn, tenor Nick Pritchard and soprano Isabelle Haile directly. The result is a testament to collaboration and cooperation. ‘As a poet writing texts for songs, John has a very clear, direct voice, with the ability to craft memorable, evocative phrases and use short bursts of lyricism. Rarely to her texts feel too wordy or too over-written, there is space for the music….. Haile sings with a lovely bright, focused soprano tone’ – Robert Hugill ‘Soprano Isabelle Halle is completely at ease with the material of Metropolis, prioritizing clarity over expressive excess, yet still creating an emotional, intimate space with her performance….. [Songs for Our Times] is an achingly sincere contribution to the contemporary art song canon.’ – Mordents ‘Here is music to enjoy but to make you think as well!’ – British Music Society ‘In order for classical music to be supported in any meaningful way, and to allow its continued existence as we know it, more people need to be introduced to, and invested in it.’ – Chinwe D. John St Bride's Church, London DD/MM/YYYY

Details

St Bride's Church
Fleet Street
Fleet Street
London
EC4Y 8AU
England

Tuesday 24th June 2025
1:15 PM

Tickets

Prices: Free concert

Programme

Francis Poulenc – Fleurs
Francis Poulenc – Violon
Francis Poulenc – Priez pour paix, FP 95
Francis Poulenc – Novelette no.1 in C major, Op.47
Bernard Hughes – Metropolis song cycle (Lyrics by Chinwe D. John)

Performers

Isabelle Haile – soprano
Asako Ogawa – Piano

Programme Note

World premiere performance of ‘Metropolis’, six songs by British composer Bernard Hughes and lyricist Chinwe D John, expressing the hopes and challenges of our rapidly changing world. These songs, touching on diverse themes, such as global war, displacement and romantic love, bring the emotional essence of our shared experience into stark and beautiful view, and capture the pulse of a modern metropolis. Soprano Isabelle Haile and pianist Asako Ogawa infuse their sublime artistry through the songs, creating an unforgettable musical experience.

This free lunchtime concert also includes music by Francis Poulenc, chosen to complement the songs.

Metropolis appears on the album ‘Songs for Our Times’, released to critical acclaim in 2023 on the Divine Art label. The original project was Chinwe D John's own: passionate about the need for classical music to expand its base and to respond to the challenges facing UK-based musicians during the 2020 pandemic, she reached out to composers Bernard Hughes and Stuart MacRae, and pianist Christopher Glynn, tenor Nick Pritchard and soprano Isabelle Haile directly. The result is a testament to collaboration and cooperation.

‘As a poet writing texts for songs, John has a very clear, direct voice, with the ability to craft memorable, evocative phrases and use short bursts of lyricism. Rarely to her texts feel too wordy or too over-written, there is space for the music….. Haile sings with a lovely bright, focused soprano tone’ – Robert Hugill

‘Soprano Isabelle Halle is completely at ease with the material of Metropolis, prioritizing clarity over expressive excess, yet still creating an emotional, intimate space with her performance….. [Songs for Our Times] is an achingly sincere contribution to the contemporary art song canon.’ – Mordents

‘Here is music to enjoy but to make you think as well!’ – British Music Society

‘In order for classical music to be supported in any meaningful way, and to allow its continued existence as we know it, more people need to be introduced to, and invested in it.’ – Chinwe D. John

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