Songs of Love

1−2pm, Wednesday 14 January 2026, St Peter’s Church, St Albans AL1 3HG

Free admission, collection at end

Robert Schumann, Dichterliebe

Ralph Vaughan Williams, Five Mystical Songs

Jonathan Finney makes his return to the St Peter’s Church Concert Series with a programme that contrasts romantic and spiritual love.

Presented in this concert are two song cycles by composers famed for their devotion to the human voice, namely Schumann’s ravishing setting of poems by the arch-romantic Heinrich Heine, and Vaughan Williams’ stirring presentation of five poems by the metaphysical and religious Jacobean poet, George Herbert.

For this programme Jonathan is delighted to collaborate with the Spanish pianist Raul Jimenez. Raul moved to London in 1995, where he was awarded the prestigious ARCM piano performance title.

Along the way, Raul has also received awards from competitions including Princess Christina (Madrid), Salou and the Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (Italy), and performed worldwide as a soloist, accompanist and teacher. His career highlights include premiering Federico González Orduña’s Piano Concerto at Queen Elizabeth Hall in 2015 during the ‘Year of Mexico in the UK’ celebrations.

Tenor, Jonathan Finney

Pianist, Raul Jimenez