Fleur Barron – mezzo soprano
Tami Pohjola – violin
Laura van der Heijden – cello
Tom Poster – piano

Toru Takemitsu La Neige Listen
Messiaen Le Sourire: Trois Mélodies Listen
Takemitsu Will tomorrow, I wonder, be cloudy or clear? Listen
Messiaen Pourquoi: Trois Mélodies Listen
Takemitsu Yesterday’s Spot Listen
Ravel Piano Trio Listen
Huang Ruo Fishman’s Sonnet for voice and piano (in the style of Kunqu Opera)
Chen Yi Romance of Hsiao and Ch’in Listen
Borodin Three songs for voice, piano, cello
Fang Man Lullaby for voice, piano, cello
Chinese Folksong arr Tom Poster Northeast Lullaby
Britten folksong The brisk young widow Listen
Chinese Folksong arr Tom Poster Song of the Yue Boatman
Britten folksong Greensleeves
Chinese Folksong arr Tom Poster Fengyang Flower Drum Song

This concert is one of six in the Leeds International Chamber Season 2022/23: Expanding Horizons. View the brochure. View the full series online.

Three of Kaleidoscope’s instrumentalists are joined by rapidly rising star mezzo Fleur Barron (recently announced as featured artist at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw for the 2022/23 season) in a vibrant, Asia-inspired programme combining instrumental and vocal chamber music. The influence of folk music is felt strongly throughout the programme, in which enchanting songs by East Asian composers sit alongside works by Europeans who drew inspiration from the Asian continent. Ravel’s celebrated Piano Trio is a masterpiece of kaleidoscopic brilliance, while Borodin’s songs with obbligato cello are rarely-performed jewels. To end the evening, brand new folksong arrangements by Kaleidoscope’s founder Tom Poster join Britten’s much-loved settings.