The Valentine’s Day recital in the RBA was given by Simone McIntosh and Rachael Kerr.  They served up fare appropriate to the occasion unlike in 2013 when Franz-Josef Selig gave us a Valentine recital mostly about Death!  It was an interesting mix of material starting with two of the Britten folk song arrangements; “The trees they grow so high” and “The miler of Dee”.  Quite a bold choice in some ways as the first one is almost, but not quite, a capella so there’s nowhere to hide.  It was good.  Not only was Simone’s voice accurate and expressive but she gave herself some metrical freedom.  There is nothing worse than a singer singing this material as if they have a broomstick up their ass.

Schubert’s Ganymed and the Poulenc cycle Banalités followed.  I really liked the Poulenc.  It’s quite varied in mood and Simone and Rachael exploited that.  From a very stylish “Chanson d’Orkenise” through some beautiful pianism on “Fagnes de Wallonie” to a cheeky salute to Simone’s new home in “Voyage à Paris” the singing and playing just seemed on point emotionally.

“Let Beauty Awake” from Vaughn Williams’  Songs of Travel just made me wish we got the whole cycle but any regrets about that were soon dispelled by a really excellent account of Grieg’s Sechs Lieder, Op. 48.  These are gorgeous, complex and varied songs.  There’s so much to like.  “Gruss” has a really playful piano part.  There’s a lovely stillness to “Dereinst, Gedanke mein” and there’s even some silliness in “Laud der Welt” before things become bittersweet with “Zur Rosenzeit” and finish most dramatically with “Ein Traum”.  There was a real sense throughout of two musicians who understand and love the music and who love working together.  It’s what makes chamber scale music making so intensely satisfying.

And, if you want to reduce me to a blubbering wreck at the end, “Liebst du um Schönheit” from Mahler’s Rückert Lieder will do it.  All in all, a lovely recital; well put together and splendidly performed.  And there was a really good turnout for it too.