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Finding Freedom

Part of the Whiddon Autumn Festival 2025

Add to my Calendar 20-09-2025 17:00 20-09-2025 19:00 36 Finding Freedom Matthew McKinney is quickly establishing himself as a rising star of the UK's opera and recital scene. After winning first prize at the renowned Kathleen Ferrier Awards in 2024, and since his brief appearance at the Whiddon Autumn Festival last year, Matthew has made his debut at New York's Carnegie Hall as a Song Studio Artist, and returned to Glyndebourne as a Jerwood Artist for their 2025 summer festival. Later this year, Matthew will make his role debut at Glyndebourne as Peter in the world premiere of Mark Anthony Turnage’s new opera The Railway Children. 'Finding Freedom' is Matthew's ongoing recital project with South African pianist Roelof Temmingh, and this performance will include Matthew's first ever live performance of Dichterliebe by Robert Schumann. Setting a collection of poems by German Romantic poet Heinrich Heine, Dichterliebe is one of the most iconic song cycles of the Lieder tradition, and one of Schumann's most loved works. The second half of the programme explores the theme of 'Finding Freedom' through a carefully curated selection of 20th century and contemporary songs. Featuring music by Ivor Gurney, Judith Weir, Frank Bridge and John Ireland, Matthew and Roelof chart a course through some of the greatest exponents of English Song. Towards the end of the concert, a traditional Scottish song is interwoven with Roelof's own poignant setting of a beautiful letter in Afrikaans, written by his grandfather to his grandmother at the end of her life. The final item in the programme is the dramatic and highly virtuosic Marechiare by Paolo Tosti, a song in the Neapolitan language, and a true showstopper of the Italian bel canto tradition. St Michael's Church, Chagford DD/MM/YYYY

Details

St Michael's Church
High Street
Chagford
Devon
TQ13 8BN
England

Programme

Robert Schumann – Dichterliebe, Op.48
Francesco Paolo Tosti – Marechiare
Roelof Temmingh – Birthday Letter
Robert Schumann – Vogel als Prophet, Op.82 no.7
Judith Weir – The Voices of Desire: ‘Written on Terrestrial Things’, ‘Sweet Little Red Feet'
John Ireland – The Trellis
Ivor Gurney – The Apple Orchard
Frank Bridge – Love Went a-Riding, H.114

Performers

Matthew McKinney – tenor
Roelof Temmingh – piano

Other concerts in this Festival ▼

A Million Nightingales

Trios at Twilight

Across the Atlantic

The Song of Songs

Caledonia

Programme Note

Matthew McKinney is quickly establishing himself as a rising star of the UK's opera and recital scene. After winning first prize at the renowned Kathleen Ferrier Awards in 2024, and since his brief appearance at the Whiddon Autumn Festival last year, Matthew has made his debut at New York's Carnegie Hall as a Song Studio Artist, and returned to Glyndebourne as a Jerwood Artist for their 2025 summer festival. Later this year, Matthew will make his role debut at Glyndebourne as Peter in the world premiere of Mark Anthony Turnage’s new opera The Railway Children.

'Finding Freedom' is Matthew's ongoing recital project with South African pianist Roelof Temmingh, and this performance will include Matthew's first ever live performance of Dichterliebe by Robert Schumann. Setting a collection of poems by German Romantic poet Heinrich Heine, Dichterliebe is one of the most iconic song cycles of the Lieder tradition, and one of Schumann's most loved works.

The second half of the programme explores the theme of 'Finding Freedom' through a carefully curated selection of 20th century and contemporary songs. Featuring music by Ivor Gurney, Judith Weir, Frank Bridge and John Ireland, Matthew and Roelof chart a course through some of the greatest exponents of English Song. Towards the end of the concert, a traditional Scottish song is interwoven with Roelof's own poignant setting of a beautiful letter in Afrikaans, written by his grandfather to his grandmother at the end of her life.

The final item in the programme is the dramatic and highly virtuosic Marechiare by Paolo Tosti, a song in the Neapolitan language, and a true showstopper of the Italian bel canto tradition.

Finding Freedom

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