Various Composers - A Thousand Charms (Grace Davidson; Julian Perkins)

Information

1. Henry Purcell - If music be the food of love, Z. 379
2. Henry Purcell - Pausanius, Z.585, Act III: No. 1, Sweeter than Roses
3. Henry Purcell - The Indian Queen, Z. 630, Act III: No. 10, I attempt from Loves sickness to fly
4. Henry Purcell - The Indian Queen, Z. 630, Act IV: No. 1, They tell us that your mighty powers above
5. Henry Purcell - Suite in D Minor: I. Almand, very slow
6. Henry Purcell - Suite in D Minor: II. Corant
7. Henry Purcell - Suite in D Minor: III. Sarabande
8. Henry Purcell - Suite in D Minor: IV. Hornpipe
9. Thomas Campion - Never weather-beaten sail
10. Thomas Campion - Author of Light
11. Thomas Arne - The Tempest, Act V Scene I: Where the bee sucks, there lurk I (Ariel) (arr. Alex Barrett)
12. Thomas Arne - Judith, Act II Scene V: Sleep, gentle Cherub! Sleep descend (Judith)
13. Thomas Arne - Harpsichord Sonata No. 5 in B Flat Major: I. Poco largo
14. Thomas Arne - Harpsichord Sonata No. 5 in B Flat Major: II. Gavotta
15. Pelham Humfrey - A Hymne to God the Father
16. John Blow - Sabina has a thousand charms
17. John Blow - Lovely Selina
18. John Eccles - Belinda’s pretty pleasing form
19. George Frideric Handel - Semele, HWV 58, Act II Scene II: O sleep, why dost thou leave me (Semele)
20. George Frideric Handel - Semele, HWV 58, Act III Scene II: My racking thoughts by no kind slumbers freed (Semele)
21. George Frideric Handel - Semele, HWV 58, Act III Scene IV: No. 6, I Ever Am Granting (Semele)
22. Henry Purcell - Tyrannic Love, Z. 613, Act IV: No. 2, Ah! How sweet it is to love
23. Henry Purcell - An Evening Hymn, Z. 193 (arr. Benjamin Britten)

Grace Davidson, soprano

Julian Perkins, harpsichord

Date: 2026

Label: Signum Classics

_____________________

A Thousand Charms offers a compelling journey through two centuries of English song, from the intimate ayres of Thomas Campion to the dramatic works of Purcell and the expressive arias of Handel. The programme traces the evolution of solo song from lute-inspired simplicity to richly ornamented theatrical expression, highlighting the close relationship between poetry and music. Grace Davidson’s clear, agile soprano and Julian Perkins’s refined harpsichord accompaniment bring freshness and immediacy to this repertoire. Together, they illuminate the elegance, inventiveness, and emotional depth of early English song, making this recording an engaging and rewarding listening experience.

Grace Davidson (born 1977) is an English soprano renowned for her purity of tone and versatility in early and contemporary music. A graduate and Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, she won the Academy’s Early Music Prize and has since performed as a soloist with leading Baroque ensembles under conductors including Sir John Eliot Gardiner and Harry Christophers. Her extensive discography includes acclaimed recordings with The Sixteen and notable performances such as Fauré’s Requiem. Davidson is also a muse for contemporary composers, most prominently Max Richter, whose works she has performed worldwide.

Julian Perkins, dubbed “The Indiana Jones of Early Music” by BBC Radio 3, is a British-Italian conductor, keyboardist, and artistic director renowned for his adventurous and expressive approach to historically informed performance. Based in the UK, he leads Portland Baroque Orchestra in the USA and founded Cambridge Handel Opera and Sounds Baroque. Widely acclaimed for his intensity, stylistic insight, and award-nominated recordings, Perkins appears internationally as a conductor and soloist, including at the Salzburg Festival. A pioneering clavichord performer and prolific recording artist, he is also a passionate educator, regularly leading projects, workshops, and scholarly initiatives worldwide.