Changeable skies saw in the first of Garsington’s two Spring Concerts this year with the rain holding off long enough for a few picnickers to brave it in the gardens. This was a celebratory occasion, a concert in honour of pianist and conductor Steuart Bedford who has contributed so much to Garsington. He has directed many Mozart operas here. This year he returns to conduct A Midsummer Night’s Dream in what promises to be a highlight of the season. Benjamin Britten is a composer Bedford of course knew well and with whom he was closely associated.

Two members of the cast of the forthcoming opera: Anna Stéphany (who will play Hermia), and Pascal Charbonneau (Flute) joined Bedford, pianist Frances Hills and viola player Clare Finnimore for an engaging recital of songs.

Stéphany was superb in a series of Wolf songs, and in two lovely Brahms settings with piano and viola (Op. 91). Charbonneau was equally convincing in three Fauré love songs which he performed with great feeling. Frances Hills provided sensitive accompaniments to both singers.

The show was stolen, though, by Liza Lehmann’s witty settings of Hilaire Belloc’s Four Cautionary Tales and a Moral in which the two singers were accompanied by Bedford. Lehmann was a Victorian concert soloist, composer and (incidentally) Bedford’s paternal grandmother. Both the music and the hilarious performances perfectly fitted these whimsical verses. The material undoubtedly benefited from live performance but for the curious a recording of these and other Lehmann songs, with Bedford at the piano, is available on Naxos.

In addition to the songs we also heard an amiable performance of Mozart's Piano Quartet K478 with Bedford at the piano, Gabrielle Lester (violin), Clare Finnimore (viola) and Jane Fenton (cello).

The second Spring Concert takes place on May 3 and features the Aronovitz Quartet in a programme of Bridge, Mendelssohn and Dvorak. For more details, plus information on the operas, see www.garsingtonopera.org.