The versatility of the voice has fascinated composers through the ages, from its purest form to its most virtuosic. This concert presents music of extraordinary variety and exquisite beauty - from the rhythms and colours of Spanish song, the majesty of the German choral tradition, the refinement of French opera, and the passion and theatricality of Italian arias. Through exploration and experimentation, composers harnessed the voice to reflect a spectrum of nuanced emotions such as tenderness, frailty and resentment. Singers became celebrities as they gave voice to emotions ranging from sensuousness and high passion to dark themes of anguish and revenge. Drama was the currency of the day and singers were the “rock stars”!