Explore songs through the centuries to today

An unprecedented mix of “classical” and “popular” culture’s most powerful and iconic songs side by side. More relaxing than its title suggests, but admittedly rebellious in spirit, Alice Coote and Julius Drake explore songs through the centuries to today, to suggest that what we call ‘classical’ music is, in fact, unforgettably great music that belongs on any stage.

David Bowie, Henry Purcell, Jacques Brel, K.D. Lang, Gustav Mahler, Mozart, Lennon & McCartney; where do you begin or end such a list? For centuries, the greatest of musicians and writers have given us songs that explore and shine light into the hidden corners of our minds, that help us understand the infinite nuance and complexities of what it is to be human. In this fresh and thought-provoking programme that removes the needless walls we’ve built between genres, Alice Coote and Julius Drake present, both in original formats and new arrangements, a poignant journey through a life, as seen through the minds and music of these, and many other significant composers.