Tell Me the Truth About Love

Simon Russell Beale joins us for a afternoon of music and poetry celebrating the works of composer Benjamin Britten and poet W.H Auden.

Poetry & performance: Simon Russell Beale

Piano: Christopher Glynn
Mezzo Soprano: Lucy Schaufer
Tenor: James Gilchrist

‘Cabaret Songs’ by Benjamin Britten & W.H. Auden
‘Cabaret Songs’ by Conor Mitchell & W.H. Auden
‘Look Both Ways’ by Conor Mitchell (Wild Plum Arts commission)

Join us for an unforgettable afternoon of music and poetry exploring themes of desire and tenderness, public and private love, in celebration of the work of composer Benjamin Britten and poet W. H. Auden.

For a time, Auden was in love with Britten, but it was with Pears that Britten found lasting love and creative inspiration. Nevertheless, love and desire ran through their work and, at a time when homosexuality was illegal, there remained a tension between their public work and their lives behind closed doors.

In this exclusive performance, Auden and Britten’s collaborative written work ‘Cabaret Songs’, is performed alongside ‘Look Both Ways’, which was inspired by the romantic correspondence between Britten and tenor Peter Pears, each set to music and composed by Conor Mitchell.

The performances will be interwoven with letters and poems from Auden, Britten and Pears, read by multi-award-winning actor Simon Russell Beale.

With thanks to Britten Pears Arts.