Duo taking the lieder to St Albans church

Two world-renowned musicians come to St Albans next Sunday, July 20, to give a lieder recital as part of a weekend festival

Baritone Wolfgang Holzmair and pianist Imogen Cooper are appearing at 8.15pm in St Saviour’s Church to take part in the event promoted by St Albans International Organ Festival.

The Austrian baritone delighted the audience in St Albans Cathedral with his singing at last year’s performance of the Britten War Requiem.

He is back in St Albans with his regular accompanist to perform music by Franz Schubert and Hugo Wolf.

At 3pm on the same day the Zelkova String Quartet perform music by Frank Bridge, Beethoven and Shostakovich in St Michael’s Church.

Zelkova are a young prizewinning string quartet founded at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester who are building up an enviable reputation with performances across the UK and Europe.

Prior to that, St Albans International Organ Festival in association with the London Organ Improvisation Course presents a programme of spontaneous music making when Franz Josef Stoiber plays on the organ at 5.30pm on Thursday, July 17, at St Peter’s Church, in St Albans.

He will demonstrate his improvisation skills on various pieces of music including a French Suite and Three Choral preludes.

The box office and full details of the concerts can be found at www.organfestival.com