Bliss Song Series

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
Ivor Gurney – Severn Meadows

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.

Student tickets for £5 plus £2.50 booking fee

Lord Chris Smith, Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, former Master of Pembroke College (2015 to 2025)
New Chancellor elected at the University of Cambridge | University of Cambridge