Songs of Love

Instrumentation

soprano and piano

Other Information

Settings of four poems for high soprano and piano. The poems are: How do I Love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning; To My Dear and Loving Husband by Anne Bradstreet; One Blessing Had I by Emily Dickinson; and I Love Thee by Eliza Acton. The songs were composed for Paula Downes (soprano) and David Trippett (piano), who gave the first performance at University Hall, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA on Thursday February 1st 2007.  The UK premiere was given by Jenny Saunders (soprano) and Julian Hellaby (piano) - both pictured left - at the Ellen Terry Building, Coventry University, on February 28th 2009.

An arrangement for soprano soloist with 10 solo stringed instruments (6 violins, 2 violas and 2 cellos) by Lee Armstrong of these songs was premiered on May 1st 2010, at St George’s Church, Edgbaston, Birmingham, by Paula Downes (soprano) and the Central England Ensemble, directed by Lee Armstrong.