Roderick Williams OBE, baritone & Joseph Middleton, piano
Tuesday 16 June 2026, 7.30pm
Pembroke College Auditorium, Cambridge
Bliss Song Series
Programme:
“Love flows as the brook flows…”
Franz Schubert – Das Wandern / Somewhere
George Butterworth – Loveliest of Trees
Joan Trimble – Green Rain
Ralph Vaughan Williams – The Vagabond
Franz Schubert – Wohin? / Where now?
Ina Boyle – A Song of Enchantment
Gerald Finzi – Overlooking the river
Franz Schubert – Der Neugierige / Curiosity
Ralph Vaughan Williams – The Water Mill
Rebecca Clarke – Down by the Salley Gardens
Franz Schubert – Ungeduld / Impatience
Michael Head – Tewkesbury Road
Franz Schubert – Mein! / Mine!
-Interval-
Franz Schubert – Mit dem grünen Lautenbande / The Green Ribbon
Ralph Vaughan Williams – Silent Noon
Roger Quilter – Brown is My Love
Franz Schubert – Der Jäger / The Huntsman
Gerald Finzi – He Abjures Love
Franz Schubert – Die liebe Farbe / Her Favourite Colour
John Ireland – We’ll to the Woods No More
Roger Quilter – By a Fountainside
Herbert Howells – The Sorrow of Love
Benjamin Britten – O Waly, Waly
Franz Schubert – Des Baches Wiegenlied / The Brook Sings a Lullaby
One of Britain’s most beloved baritones, Roderick Williams OBE returns to the Bliss Song Series for an evening of song with renowned pianist Joseph Middleton. With a voice praised for its warmth, expressivity, and clarity, Williams is a master communicator on the recital platform, bringing equal nuance to Schubert and Schumann as to contemporary song.
A celebrated artist on international opera and concert stages—from Covent Garden and La Scala to New York Philharmonic and BBC Proms—Roderick Williams is also a devoted recitalist, and has performed all three Schubert cycles at Wigmore Hall. His deep connection to English song and passion for new music have made him a unique voice in the world of art song.
He is joined by Joseph Middleton, “the cream of the new generation” (The Times), whose artistry and deep musical partnership with singers has made him a leading figure in song accompaniment today.
You can watch Roderick Williams and Joseph Middleton perform Benjamin Britten’s Foggy, foggy dew at Leeds Song Festival here.
PRE-CONCERT TALK
6.45-7.15pm (on stage): Pre-concert talk with Lord Chris Smith, Chancellor of the University of Cambridge and former Master of Pembroke
