Artists

Nardus Williams soprano
Elizabeth Kenny lute 

Soprano Nardus Williams and lutenist Elizabeth Kenny join Leeds Song in an intimate recital designed to mark the 400th anniversary of the death of John Dowland, performed in the remarkable setting of the Royal Armouries Museum.   

Winner of the Rising Talent award at the 2022 International Opera Awards, and praised for her “magnetism”, Nardus Williams has been described as “a knockout combination of melting vulnerability and lustrous ardour” (The Times). Williams excels in recital, concert and operatic performances in venues in the UK and abroad and it’s a real thrill to invite her back to Leeds Song for her first full-length recital with us. Elizabeth Kenny is one of the world’s leading lute players and an academic, with a history of performing with many of the major early music ensembles and a back catalogue of celebrated recordings that show her to be a master of versatility and imaginative collaborations.  

A number of standing tickets in the gallery will be available free of charge on the day to museum visitors and will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Ticket holders are asked to remain for the duration of the performance.

Please note that this performance takes place during in a room which is part of a public space open to museum visitors. 

Programme

Dowland 400
‘If I could shut the gate against my thoughts’: an exploration of melancholy 

John Danyel
If I could shut the gate against my thoughts  

John Dowland
Flow my tears  

Robert Johnson 
Come, heavy sleep  

John Dowland 
Now cease my wand’ring eyes  

Robert Johnson 
Have you seen the bright lily grow?  

Lucrezia Vizzana 
O Magnum Mysterium  

Francesca Caccini 
Non so se quel sorriso

John Dowland 
Can she excuse my wrongs  

Nicholas Lanier 
Qual musico gentil  

Giulio Caccini 
Alme luci beate  

Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger 
Toccata  

Francesca Caccini 
Lasciatemi qui solo  

Claudio Monteverdi 
Si dolce è’l tormento  

Barbara Strozzi 
Lagrime mie