On paper, Leeds Lieder has everything a levelling up-minded government might desire. Where else could you hear one of the greatest living exponents of French song back-to-back with the winner of this year’s Kathleen Ferrier awards, while celebrating the people of Leeds in a dozen newly minted songs performed by up-and-coming young singers? And yet Arts Council England has rejected their latest project funding application – approximately one fifth of the company’s annual budget – leaving director Joseph Middleton and his team, many of whom are volunteers, crowdfunding to ensure next year’s festival can take place.
As for the art on offer, it’s world-class. UK recitals by Véronique Gens are incredibly rare, let alone opportunities to hear the incandescent French soprano in an intimate studio environment. Her ear-ravishing programme was immaculately crafted. Gens’ voice has taken on a mellow, oaky quality as she has matured, though the upper-middle register retains its refulgence. Opening with Gounod’s faux-folk song Où voulez-vous aller? and journeying through nocturnal musings by Chausson and Hahn to floral bouquets by Fauré, this was a masterclass in elegance, restraint and the fine art of communication. A captivatingly playful bond with her accomplished pianist Susan Manoff was the icing on the cake.
