Sunday 2 November 3.00 pm
Christopher Kent & Sarah Sherborne (actors)
Gamal Khamis (piano)
present
AN EXQUISITE HARMONY
The lives, loves and music of
Robert & Clara Schumann & Johannes Brahms
When composer Robert Schumann tried to commit suicide in 1854 and was subsequently committed to an asylum, his wife Clara, celebrated across Europe as a virtuoso concert pianist, was left at home with their six young children. The young Johannes Brahms had just been introduced to the family and rushed to offer his support to Clara. What happened next has been the subject of speculation ever since. Clara was later to describe their relationship as “an exquisite harmony of souls”.
Actor Christopher Kent and pianist Gamal Khamis return with another chance to see An Exquisite Harmony, their acclaimed narrative recital tracing the lives, loves and music of Robert and Clara Schumann and the young Johannes Brahms through their diaries, letters and music, including works from the sublime piano repertoire of all three composers. They are delighted to be joined at this performance by the actress Sarah Sherborne who will read from the writings of Clara Schumann. First seen at St Mary's in November 2022, An Exquisite Harmony is a deeply moving and thought-provoking narrative which has been widely acclaimed in the West End and at venues throughout the UK.
Piano repertoire:
Clara Schumann: Flüchtige Stücke Op 15 no 1
Robert Schumann (Arr. Clara Schumann): Widmung Op 25 no 1.
Brahms: Piano sonata no 2 in F sharp minor Op 2 (1st movt)
Clara Schumann: Romance in G Minor Op 21 no 3
Robert Schumann: Ghost Variations, WoO 14 Theme & Variation 5
Brahms: Intermezzo in E flat minor Op 118 no 6
Schumann: Gesa¨nge der Fru¨he, op 133 no 1
Come along to St Mary's Perivale
or watch LIVE on YouTube or Facebook
or watch the recording on YouTube
The recital partnership between Christopher Kent and Gamal Khamis began in 2016 with Never Such Innocence , their acclaimed narrative recital of words and music from the First World War (described by BBC Radio 3 as “an incredibly moving performance”). It was followed in 2019 by Odyssey – Words and Music of Finding Home , with specially commissioned works by six award-winning contemporary poets and composers. In 2020 a livestreamed performance of Enoch Arden by Strauss/Tennyson from St Mary's Perivale was viewed globally and led to subsequent performances in London and around the UK, before being recorded as a critically-acclaimed CD/Streaming release by SOMM Recordings. An Exquisite Harmony about the lives and music of Robert & Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms followed in 2022, with performances continuing throughout the 2024/25 season. Their adaptation of Shakespeare's rarely heard early narrative poem Venus & Adonis , with music by Felix Mendelssohn, was commissioned by the inaugural Shakespeare in Music Festival and premiered at Stratford in 2025 to widespread critical acclaim ( “Remarkable and of the highest quality” Stratford Herald).
Christopher Kent has appeared on stage, screen and radio in a wide range of roles from Shakespeare to contemporary drama. London theatre appearances have included Cyrano de Bergerac with Robert Lindsay at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, The Government Inspector with Timothy Spall at Greenwich Theatre and most recently Bob Price in Things I Know To Be True at OSO Barnes. His live performances of epic story-telling and poetry, often from memory and in partnership with leading musicians, have been widely acclaimed. His regular recital partners include pianist Gamal Khamis and the Bridge String Quartet. Christopher is also one of the UK's leading voice actors and is regularly heard on commercials, documentaries, film trailers and literary recordings.
Described by The Times as a pianist with "formidable keyboard skills", Gamal Khamis first performed at the Wigmore Hall at the age of ten, and he has since appeared at Carnegie Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Sage Gateshead, as well as all over Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. He has won major prizes at the Royal Over-Seas League Music Competition and the Ferrier Awards and is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 3 In Tune. Recent engagements have included conducting Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera in Sheffield, as well as performing concertos by Rachmaninov, Schumann and Grieg with orchestras across the UK. Gamal is a Samling Artist and a member of the award-winning Lipatti Piano Quartet. In 2024 Gamal was appointed as a professor at the Royal College of Music.
Sarah Sherborne 's extensive TV appearances include Birds of a Feather (ITV), House of Elliot (BBC), ‘Allo ‘Allo (BBC) and Goodbye Mr Chips (BBC) and she has appeared widely on stage, with seasons at Derby, Colchester, Nottingham, Cheltenham and Bristol Old Vic. Her voice is familiar from countless audiobook, commercial and documentary recordings including narration for the current Empire Builders series on Sky History.
Audience comments:
“Truly captivating… wonderfully life and love-affirming.”
“Superb, enthralling and emotional.”
“A memorable and very moving performance.”
“An intriguing story illustrated with terrific piano playing.”
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