Olivia Chaney: Sons of Art

Growing up with a wide range of musical influences, Olivia never saw Purcell as merely a stuffy composer for kings and queens whose work should be strictly interpreted. For her, Purcell was a pre-Enlightenment composer who approached music like a magpie, gathering diverse ideas and influences and freely reworking them. At times, his work feels more akin to folk or jazz than anything “classical.” Drawing from her own experience as a composer of original works and arranger of folk songs, this concert will showcase Olivia’s deeply personal approach to Purcell, uncovering a new, more accessible side to this much-loved baroque composer.

Set 1: 7.30-8.15pm

Interval: 8.15-8.35pm

Set 2: 8:35-9:30pm including Encore

Reviews

‘A version of Purcell’s “O Solitude” shows how easily the British singer-songwriter flits between past and present. If there’s a hint of Joni Mitchell, Chaney establishes her own voice from the outset…Rare beauty’ The Times

‘Melancholy has never been so rapturous…Chaney’s voice is a thing of sublime beauty’ The Telegraph

‘When she introduced a song as “sexy rock ‘n’ roll”, it turned out to be from Purcell’s 1692 semiopera The Fairy Queen. Yet, Ms Chaney is no captive of tradition’ New York Times

‘Purcell’s “There’s Not a Swain” sits alongside the traditional “False Bride”…An enchanting, stately creation.’ The Guardian