Grab a drink, get close-up to the artists and wander St Martin’s atmospheric crypt by candlelight for these informal, immersive new gig nights.
This session is an encounter between two of the greatest English singer-songwriters, each a genius of his time and both renowned for beautiful melancholy. Nick Drake achieved little critical success during his lifetime, but has since been widely acclaimed, with poets such as William Blake, William Butler Yeats, and Henry Vaughan, influencing his lyrics. Drake died in 1974 at the age of just 26 years, but left a musical legacy that “throbs with [an] aching beauty” (Rolling Stone). Born almost 400 years earlier, John Dowland is best known for his melancholy songs of the English Renaissance. In recent years his work has been revived, with major musicians such as Sting and Elvis Costello recording his works.
Lotte Betts-Dean (‘an unmissable, urgent musicality…she’s certainly one to watch,’ The Guardian) sings favourite numbers from each, with rising star Dimitris Soukaras on classical, electric and steel-string guitars.
