A ‘hansel’ – the traditional gift given to bring good luck. Three exceptional musicians, Julius Drake, Mark Padmore and Krzysztof Chorzelski, “giving back” their skills in performance at Snape in aid of two charities which support the training of young musicians (The Jean Meikle Music Trust and Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme). For Julius Drake, the gift was an exceptionally personal one, as one of the charities benefiting was the Jean Meikle Music Trust, established in memory of Drake’s own mother (who was particularly fond of song and chamber music) to encourage the art of song through performance and education.
Charlotte Valori (Bachtrack) wrties: “Julius Drake’s exquisite piano accompaniment was a constant joy in a performance which, characteristically, always did more than support, yet somehow never overwhelmed or eclipsed, his fellow musicians. Drake’s exceptional touch welcomes us into the sound world of each piece with lucid sincerity, with passages of vibrant emotional expression giving way to calm elegance or tender pathos.”