Join host Stefania Passamonte as she welcomes back pianist Nigel Foster alongside Spanish soprano Lorena Paznito and pianist Elisabeth Muja to discuss their upcoming concert celebrating Clara Schumann. Airing on November 28th at the London Song Festival, this special performance highlights the remarkable life and compositions of Clara Schumann—not just as the wife of Robert Schumann, but as a visionary composer, accomplished pianist, dedicated teacher, music editor, and working mother of eight children who single-handedly supported her family.
During the episode, the guests dive deep into Clara’s musical legacy, revealing how her compositions are often understated yet profoundly moving pieces that showcase her innate understanding of the human voice. With over half the concert program featuring Clara’s own works—14 out of 21 songs—this is a rare opportunity to experience her music as the centerpiece it deserves to be. The conversation explores the fascinating dynamics between Clara, Robert Schumann, and other Romantic era giants like Chopin, Liszt, and Brahms, while also touching on Lorena’s experience learning German art songs and the beautiful connections that music creates between artists across languages and cultures.
This is an inspiring celebration of how one woman’s determination and talent shaped classical music history, and how contemporary artists continue to champion her legacy today.
Main Topics
Clara Schumann was far more than Robert Schumann's wife—she was a composer, virtuoso pianist, music editor, teacher, and working mother who was the primary breadwinner for her family
The November 28th London Song Festival concert features 21 songs with 14 composed by Clara Schumann, deliberately centering her music rather than using it as supplementary material
Clara's mother was a soprano, which influenced her compositional style and understanding of the vocal line, making her songs both challenging and natural for singers to perform
The competitive landscape of Romantic era composers included Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, and Brahms, with the Schumann household respecting Liszt's virtuosity but finding his style overly theatrical
Spanish soprano Lorena Paznito approaches learning German art songs through detailed word-by-word, poetic, and phonetic translations across multiple languages including Russian, Italian, Portuguese, and Japanese
Music serves as an international language that builds bridges between artists, breaks down cultural barriers, and creates unexpected professional connections
The rediscovery of Clara Schumann's work has gained momentum in recent years due to gender equality movements, the bicentennial of her birth, and increased focus on women composers in classical music
Full TranscriptHello and welcome to future Cassique Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on women's radio station the program wher...▼
Hello and welcome to future Cassique Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on women's radio station the program where we search for the most amazing new female artists on the classical panorama. Today on future Casi Queen Awards we will be talking again to our guest Nigel Foster. He was here two weeks ago with Nadine Benjamin. It's lovely to be back here. Lovely to have you back. And two very special guests that are Spanish soprano Lorena Patneto and pianist Elisabeth Mucha. They are here to present their upcoming concert again with Nigel for the London Song Festival and it's going to be on 28th of November, Thursday next week and it's going to be all about Clara Schumann. Hello and welcome. Hello. It's a real pleasure to be here and to be able to talk about Clara who has been a great passion through this year for me. Absolutely. When did you discover Clara first? It was just about, you know, there's been a lot of buzz around her because of the 200 years also because it's actually an era in the past couple of years with the MeToo movement and everything where there is much more focus on gender equality and you know, in music, in classical music as well. Well, absolutely. I mean I think if most people, if they've heard of Clara Schumann, it will be through being the wife of Robert Schumann or, or perhaps if they are in the classical music world, they'll know of Clara as a great pianist. But as I discovered through researching her this year, there's so much more to Clara. Not only did she compose, which is what this program is about, is highlighting her music, focusing on her music, but also she was a, the mother of eight children. She brought them up single handedly after Robert died. She was also a great teacher. She literally had a school of pianists and she was also an editor. She edited all the Schumann's music. Not only Schumann, but also Brahms. She was a dear friend of Brahms, she was premiering some of his music. Well, she championed Schumann's music and then after that she took on the champ being a champion for. Absolutely. Well, Clara is the inspiration of this program. We started last year. No more. We're already on the second year. Time flies. It's crazy. And yeah. So we wrote this play on Clara Schumann and we discovered the fact that, you know, she was already working mom. Something that you wouldn't think. Yeah. About it today. And the one actually bringing the breadwinner. Right. Absolutely. In the house. So that's impressive. Although, I mean Robert Schumann is some of the most beautiful. He composed some of the most beautiful music of the Romantic era. So he was very much competitor with Chopin, with Liszt, and then of course later on Brahms and all the others. Great composer of the Romantic era. That's because we have an audience. So that is not specifically an audience for classical music. So we like to enlighten them, give them some context. So there was a fierce competition between Chopin and Schumann. And funny enough, Clara sometimes wasn't allowed really to play the music of Chopin or of Liszt because of the competition. They were all born the same year, 2018 10. Well, actually, she really. They really. The Schumanns really disliked the music of Liszt. He was actually a very close friend. Friends. Yes, he was. But as. And. And they respected him enormously as a pianist, but found some of the histrionic. They considered it histrionic. Absolutely. A little bit over the top. Yeah. I just recorded the Widmonke, the I was from the Mirten cycle that Robert dedicated to Clara for the wedding. For their wedding. And so the first song was transcripted by Clara and also by. By list. By list. Make it bigger, make it for concert with virtuoso. And the comment is, as usual, Liszt is adding. Is a salt and pepper. Salt and pepper to it. So what are you gonna play at the concert at the. Well, I've very deliberately made sure that more than half of the music is actually by Clara Schumacher. So often you see programs about women composers or shows, but then they use music which is not necessarily to do with them. So that made a very deliberate choice. And actually when Nigel approached me and said, would you be interested to create another art song about Clara Schumann? And when I got the cd, I put it on and I just went, wow, this music is just amazing. We really need to have it played more, especially the songs which you don't hear very often. So I think we have. I think there's 21 songs in total and 14 of those are by Clara. Wow. So it's quite a demanding piece for the singers. Yeah. Lorena, how was to learn Clara Schumann song? I mean, you are Spanish, you're singing in German, right? Yes. I mean that for a singer. Where are you from? It's normal, doesn't matter. It's like you have to. You know, I've been in the UK 11 years, so I have had my third deal of dealing with different languages through college. Etc. You have language classes. So I sing in Russian, German, Italian, Portuguese, all the languages that. That have come my way. Most recently Japanese. Oh, really? Yes. You have to. You have to leave all predicaments behind you of that's not a language that I may be speaking right now. Do you translate everything? You get acquainted with the language. You do the word by word, then the poetic translation and then the phonetic translation to be as accurate as possible. It's an enormous sound. Yeah, it is an enormous job, but a great. A great one, actually. I suppose German is not one of the weirdest language or rarest language to say it in a better word. So I've done a lot of German before. I love it. I mean. And to get to know Clara's songs, it has been such a wonderful discovery. I remember the very first rehearsal we had nearly two months ago, and song after song, I was like, it's just wonderful. It's just beautiful. It's just such a lovely song. And I think it is not a surprise that Clara's mum, if I'm not mistaken, was a soprano herself. She was a singer. So I think Clara had an idea of. Of the vocal line. I think she really, truly understood the singing voice. And it's very present in her songs. They are challenging in different ways, but they're also quite easy to sing. They fall into your voice once you've learned them. And yeah, it's been a wonderful discovery. They're so understated sometimes. And what you were talking with Leeds leads adding salt and pepper. But she doesn't need to. Her food is just so tasty. The prime material is just so that some seem so simple and yet they are. They pierce you through your heart. You know, they really get you. There is. I read that most of her songs are from German poet. The song that we're gonna listen now is Waltz by Clara Schumann. How is that a waltz? Is that a song about the waltz? Because we won't be able to understand the words if you like. Well, yes, it is. It is about a waltz and it is about how a waltz, the melody of the waltz embraces you like the beloved embraces his beloved. Okay, fantastic. So it's really about the union of the melody with the person. And before we listen to it, shall we guess is that in the world's tempo? So, 1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3. Let's listen to. It's on your. Foreign. Welcome to women's radio station. I'm Sarah Louise Ryan and welcome to Love Lessons live on women's radio station. Hello and welcome to future classic women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on women's radio station. Hello and welcome to. Julie Mae is listening. Hi, this is Anna Kennedy and we're at Women's radio station supporting women's wellbeing and we're talking all things autism women. The possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. 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Find out more@nurturingbirth.co.uk. You're listening to women's radio stations supporting women's well being. Women's radio station's creating a global network for the empowerment of women and we want you to be involved. Join us on Instagram and Twitter Women's radio station that's womensradiostn or Facebook Women's radio station to keep up to date with all our exciting programmes. Welcome back to future Classic Women Awards on Women's Radio Station, the program where we search for the most amazing new female artists on the classical panorama. Our guests today are pianist Nigel Foster, Spanish soprano Lorena Paznito and pianist Elisabeth Muja. Well, I guess next concert. Nigel, you're not playing. It's just. I'm not playing. No. Have a night off. I'm sitting in the audience and listening and enjoying Lizzie's wonderful playing and Lorena's wonderful singing. Absolutely. So how did you meet with Lorena and Elisabeth? How did we meet? We. Well, it's long back, isn't it? It was at the Academy, wasn't it? A long time ago, was it the Academy, wasn't it? Yes. Oxford Leader Festival, that's where it was. Yes, it was a long time ago now. Yes, yes. And Elizabeth and Nigel, have you played together maybe for hands, Right? Yes, yes, yes, We. I think I met you. I came to a concert at the Barnes Music Festival. We got talking to each other and then you came to see an art song at the Wandsworth Fringe. Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, that's right. Which was the Alma Maula. The Alma Mahler. That was my last. Which you did at the London Song Festival last year, which is what started this. That's right, yes. Beautiful. So another extraordinary woman. Another one. Next time we talk about. There is so much to talk, you know, about these great women that they shaped music and, you know, they. And the men around them. Absolutely. And so what I wanted to. To see is how, you know, connection happen casually between us in music and that brings later on to fantastic project, like the next concert that is going to be on. Music is such an amazing thing. It can bring all sorts of connections and all sorts of links where it will take you. Absolutely wonderful thing. And it's really international, isn't it? Absolutely, yes. It's an international language and can break down barriers and speak to anybody. It's just. And build bridges. It's a wonderful thing. Absolutely. I think it's something that allows us to feel all more near to each other somehow, which we all need very much. Yeah. And you know, above any political choice, any religious choice, music just talked by itself. And normally it talks about feelings, isn't it? It talks about human heart, speaks to the soul. That is the same no matter which color you are, which where you come from or what you think as well. I mean, anybody one can feel pain, can feel love, can feel happiness. So the next piece we're gonna listen, we're not Gonna play it right now, but it's gonna be the Variations by Clara for solo piano. So you chose this variation for a very special reason. Well, it ties in very nicely with what you've just been talking about. For Clara and for Robert and for Brahms, music was actually a means of communication which went far deeper than the spoken word. And this piece is the ultimate in that form of communication. The Variations on a theme of Schumann. So the theme of Schumann. The theme was written for Clara by Schumann before they were even married. And it spells out her name in the very opening. And then in 19, in 1853, once they settled in Dusseldorf and Clara had the space and the time to compose and to practice. She wrote this set of variations on this theme. And then going looking further forward, which is what is what's so amazing about this piece. When Robert went to the asylum and Brahms came to help Clara to be, in a way, the angel, that brought messages between the two, she played the Variations to him, and then he wrote his own set of variations and dedicated, if I remember rightly, it was a set of pieces inspired by him and dedicated to her. So it very much links all three of them together. But when Schumann wrote the piece, he sent her a note saying, greetings, my darling girl. You have created an atmosphere of spring. I can see golden blossoms peeping forth all around me. In other words, your letter started me on composing and I feel as if I should never stop. Here is my little gift. You will grasp its significance. And the significance is in that name. So what we're going to hear is not the theme, but the first variation which I've used. I've scattered it throughout the show and it highlights parts where she performs, where she composes. And so the first variation is where we see her composing after they're married. The second one shows off her very brilliant, virtuosic side. And it's when we see her in Copenhagen performing. Fantastic. Now, we were talking before about the fact that normally when you decide the program for a concert around classical female composer, there is the program that people put in composers that have nothing to do with them. Right. So this concert is going to be just on Clara, Schumann, or you're adding other composers that though they are related. So probably Robert or Brahms. It's hard not to not to include Robert in this. And of course, Brahms has to make an appearance. But I've limited Robert to three songs and Brahms to three. I think it's three songs, yes. And the rest is all Clara. And there's one song by another woman Composer who was grateful friend of hers, the singer Pauline Viardo. So there will be one more song by her. I wanted desperately to throw in another song by her. There were lots of things that I wanted to throw in, but I had to end up cutting. Actually, I read that a lot of the song that Clara wrote, she wrote them kind of forehand with Robert. So somehow and they were very much inspiring each other. So it makes total sense to have Robert or Johannes Brahms in the program. Oh, absolutely. I think the stories are so interactive, intermingled. Lorena, did you sing Clara Schumann before or that's your first time? No, it's the first time. I'm sad to say. I'm happy that now it's been fixed, but I'm sad that that program did not appear earlier for me. And I think it's true what you were saying earlier, that over the last few years there is a strong movement, isn't there? Things are changing. But I hate that we say it's rediscovered or that is in fashion. I hate especially it's in fashion because we never say that about male composers. So it's in fashion to do a whole male composer's recital. To be honest, it would be very much fashion next year to have Beethoven because it's. That would be very much fashion. Focus on a parasite rather than on the gender. And I think hopefully these last two years, as you were saying, is just the beginning of not a trend or a fashion, but something that just happens and you just have these programs and it's almost irrelevant that it's sold by a woman that is sold by a man, that you see way more programs in which women appear and not only as we were discussing the other day, you have a lot of programs and it's contemporary female composers or someone that is on the little ensemble that is playing. And I think there is so much in the past incredible music that needs to become core repertoire. And yeah. So I hope for younger singers this comes early in their careers as Schubert does just that, they become core repertoire. 1. Then let's listen now to the variation number one and two by Clara Schumann played by Elizabeth Mucha. Sa. Welcome to the women's radio station supporting women's well being. 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My heritage is Polish. Oh, wow. So it's like the painter Alphonse Mucha. All right. Because I thought Mucha was a Spanish connotation, you know. Wow, that's very impressive. And. And where are you from, exactly? I am from the northwest of Spain, a region called Galicia, and I come from the city of Auruna. Beautiful. Yeah. So when did you come to the UK, you said? 11 years ago. Right, 11 years ago. 25th. 22nd of September, 2008. That is when the conservatoire starts, I guess. Well, I first moved. I trained before as a social worker. I was working as a social worker in social services back in Spain, and I decided to make a change of career. Why not? And I thought I was young then. It was then or never, so I was very lucky. My sister was living in the UK and she took me into her home at the time I moved here. And I come from a very modest family, so my first year was I became a nanny. I left the social services to care about kids and save money to pay for my studies. All right, so where did you study? I did my undergrad at the Guild Hall School of Music and Drama, and then I did a master's specialized in prep opera at the Royal Academy of Music, where then I did my opera course for two extra years at the Royal Academy Opera, and then I went on to the National Opera Studio. Wonderful. And now I'm in the big, wide world of freelance. The biggest scary war. Exactly. So my first question then is, what was your most exciting moment in your career? That is a difficult question. It's very difficult. I think I get very involved with every project that I do and I give my best. I think that's the only way of really truly achieving what I want with music is by treating each project, regardless of. Of how big or small it is, to really give it my full attention. I suppose, though, that recently, as of last August, I am a guest at Lubeck Theatre and I'm doing the role of Maria in Piazzola's Maria de Buenos Aires Tango. Perita is a fantastic piece and it is my. It was, for me, my big jump into. Into a German house title role in a. In a big production. So it's. It's been extremely, extremely exciting. Congratulations. Thank you. It goes on until June 2020, so I'm still going back and forth. Germany. If you record it, then you can come back. I'd like to listen to it. That would be amazing. And then we can talk about Piazzola and Maria de Buenos Aires. Full piece of On Its Own are fantastic. Yeah, fantastic. And for you, Elisabeth, what was the most exciting moment in your career? Well, I'm similar to Lorena in that I really throw myself into whatever I'm working at that particular time. But I guess actually creating these art song projects has really been like the culmination of so many passions in my life. Bringing music, a story and visual. The visual element, which we haven't really touched on here. But this does involve a whole visual element as well, which is very much a passion of mine. So bringing all those elements together and I've got a very talented team of visual people involved. Would you tell us what. Yes, I'd love to. So I've been working on this, researching this with Roxanne Eleni Garafalaccio, a lady from Greece who is a very talented performer. She does all sorts of things. And like with Alma, I try to bring in the art of the time. So in this case, obviously the German Romantics to go with the song that somehow highlight what's going on. But as we were exploring Clara. So it's an amazing book, fell into my hands, as it were. It was the Book of Remembrances, which was a book of pressed flowers, which she kept, Clara kept while Robert was in Endenich. And so the flowers were going to tell. She really believed passionately that he would get better. And she believed that every flower that she kept would tell him the story of what had been happening in those two years. The meaning, the symbolism of the flowers. And so this was my, sort of my. We found that this was the link that we. That runs, that binds the visuals together, the flowers and also the fact that so much of their communication was symbolic, it was unspoken. So we wanted to get that across in the visuals. And so we brought on a filmmaker, Nicolai Azaria, and together he and Roxanne are creating this fabulous. It's almost like a visual narrative that will go along with the story that's unfolding on the stage. And it will. So you will be seeing what she's talking about almost through, as it were, memories that were forming in her head and that's going to be happening. So let's say the song that you chose, they are telling a story together. They're kind of linked one to each other or so the waltzer that we played. So what will accompany that is a painting by Adolf Menzel, who was a very well known German painter. And it's this very grand European ball. And this is very much because the song comes at a time where we talk about Clara being triumphant in Vienna. Okay. And she's been awarded the title of royal and imperial virtuosa. So one can imagine the kind of settings that she would have played in. And they made the Tartal a Vic. The Torta la Vique. Torta La Vique is another story. Oh, the Torta la Vieque. That's another story that I do have to talk about. So, yes, in a way, this has really been sort of a culmination of many things that I've come together. And now I'm gonna ask you instead, which one was your most challenging moment? Or if you have. Or the worst moment in your career? Again, it's a difficult question. What is a challenge? You learn from them. You learn from the struggles. You learn to use them to your advantage. I don't know. I can think of various things that have been challenges. A couple of years ago, together with a good friend of mine, we created our own opera company. It's very small. We specialize in Galician repertoire. We were the first company to do Galician opera in the UK outside of Spain. But then the trouble is how to put it on, how to find the funding. Endless applications, endless setbacks, things that you. You don't see that they're gonna happen, and. And you just have to plow through and. And work hard, many times, lose money and invest some of your own for things to. To go through. That's. That's, I think, one of the ones that I can think of right now. That's a good one. Nigel, did you ever have any challenge with your song cycles? Well, what Lorena was saying about all the admin work and the fundraising and getting everything to happen at the same time, it's quite a challenge, but it's enormous fun as well. Hugely rewarding to do. Absolutely. And for you, Elisabeth? Well, yes. So I have been. I've been married for 25 years to somebody who works in the oil industry. So we have moved around a lot over the years. So I've lived in Brazil, I've lived in Singapore, I've lived in Manila, I've lived in Holland, I've lived here, I've lived in Poland. So in a way, my challenge over these years has been to recreate myself wherever I've gone. So I pitch. He pitches up with a computer, opens it, and he's still the person that he's plugged into a job. I turn up and I start afresh. Oh, yeah. Wherever And I spend a good, you know, it takes me a few months to unpack and then I have to plug into the network that's there and then I have to persuade them, actually I'm a semi decent pianist. I'm not so. And then the cycle missed out the word semi, actually. Semi cueve. And so then by the time I built something up, I mean, so on average, until this last time, we moved back here. So we've actually been here now from six years, which has been a joy because it's actually given me the space to build stuff, to make connections, to really build stuff. But until then we were averaging two and a half years. So you can imagine, build up, build up, get somewhere, pack. Then the phone call comes, we're moving. So that has been an extraordinary challenge, actually. And it's been, I have to say it has also been marvelous because I have met the most marvelous people all over the world and played with the most marvelous musicians. So there are great things good too. All right, let's listen now to Varum Wills to do Andre Fragen by Clara Schumann. Welcome to Women's Radio Station. I'm Sarah Louise Ryan and welcome to Love Lessons live on Women's Radio station. Hello and welcome to future Classic women awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on Women's radio station. Hello and welcome to Julie Mae is listening. Hi, this is Anna Kennedy and we're at women's radio station supporting women's well being and we're talking all things autism women. The possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Hi, I'm Lauren Mishkon. I'm a birth doula and mum of three and I'm passionate about supporting women to have empowering and positive birth experiences. Please join me for my brand new show From Tummy to Mummy here on Women's radio station. Every week I'll be here with an expert guest talking about women's reproductive health, everything, fertility, pregnancy, birth and baby related right through to the menopause and beyond. Please join us for an informative and fun hour. My name is Ingrid Marsh and I host the radical Wellbeing show supporting women's well being. On my show I bring you ordinary women like me and you who are sharing their unique stories. Women who have refused to be defined by their pains, to be silenced by stigma or crushed by stereotypes and who are taking back their power. And together our mission is a simple one. And that's to inspire you to kick away the roadblocks too. To don your wings and be the person that you were Born to Be hi, I'm Hazel Butterfield, a blogger, book lover and mental health advocate and you can listen to my show get booked here at Women's Radio Station daily at 5am and 5pm throughout my shows we'll talk about the books I've read, new releases, chat to authors, publishers and book enthusiasts, all with the theme and aim of supporting women's emotional well being. If you have a book to tell us about, get in touch@presentersomensradiostation.com join me on my show and share my love of books and writing. Do you want to be a doula? Would you like to support families through pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period? Do you have qualities of compassion, listening, caring and empowering? At Nurturing Birth we offer approved Doula training courses across the UK which are facilitated by an award winning doula. Here you will learn more about the support you can offer, explore the doula role and think about how to set up your business. No need for previous qualifications. Find out more@nurturingbirth.co.uk. You're listening to Women's Radio Station supporting women's well being. Women's Radio Station's creating a global network for the empowerment of women and we want you to be involved. Join us on Instagram and Twitter @WomensRadiostation. That's WomensRadiostn or Facebook. Women's Radio Station to keep up to date with all our exciting programs. Welcome back to future Classic Women Awards on Women's Radio Station Today. Our guests are Nigel Foster, Spanish soprano Lorena Patnito, and pianist Elizabeth Muja. We are at the last leg of our interview. It's going super fast and now it's time for the odd question. So do you have any OPI to free your mind or relax? The problem is that during the adverts, instead of, you know, preparing you for the next session, talking about everything else. I love cinema. Okay, why not? I love sometimes binging on Netflix these days. Yeah. But also going to some old gems. And I like it because it relaxes my brain. I don't have to actively be thinking that much. And at the same time I tell myself that I'm probably researching some future character that at some point I will be playing or it will come useful in some song and some story so I can do it quite calmly without feeling very procrastinator. Now to be honest, I'm a big fan of movies and particularly on Netflix of comedy series. I love stand up comedy or comedy series. And first of all, behind comedy there is so Much cleverness. They're so clever. I'm so envious of these people, how they come out with things that. And at the same time it really help you, you know, relax. You need to unwind, isn't it? Because it's so such a demand. Otherwise we are thinking about work 24 hours on 24 hours. Yeah. And so Elizabeth, do you have any hobby? Well, hobby. I think since my daughter's come along, there's not really been much time. I'm sure as a mom you can fully understand. I don't know. She. Children become an all consuming hobby and you pour so much time and effort whenever you have. No, I mean I have a dog so I love going out for walks with her. That's a big thing. But also, I mean for relaxing, if you want to call it that. I'm also an Alexander technique teacher so I find that's a very useful way of de stressing, if you like. Absolutely. And that's something that Roxanni who has worked with me, we also share that in common because she is also an Alexander Technik teacher. But you know, I had a friend, he. He's. He now runs marathon. It's amazing. He's a super pianist, but he loves running. And then he started with marathons since he's doing them all around the world together with performing concert. I mean it's unbelievable. And. But he's telling me that when he's running he's actually going through all the passages and the fingering. So when you walk with your dog, do you think still think about work or you. Actually I do think about work and I find that actually getting out and getting away from the thing that's in front of me, actually I find if I'm. Especially if I'm writing program notes or I'm trying to fit things together that suddenly things will just snap into place that I didn't see before because I was too involved in the detail. And then just getting out and the bigger picture, you can see the bigger picture. It really does fall into place. So that is very important for me. Okay. And now do you have any funny moment that you get a call in your career? Embarrassing moment. We have people phoning just before going on stage, forgetting the glasses at the mirror because they're not being able to the music. There is quite a few I can remember last year I was doing Marine La Fille de Regiment for Jackdaws and it was an opera for children. We were doing it with the school children instead of being in the. In the military camp. It Was on a football club. So Marie was a football fan. She was with, you know, her football kids. And in one of these big areas, she. She shouts, she shoots, she scores. I shoot. I didn't score. So I decided to run after the ball, got the ball slide on the floor, completely grace my knee. But continued singing throughout the whole thing. My colleagues were in stitches, and they were like, we hoped you were all right, but it was just one of those moments. You could hear the gasping, all the audience, and I just kept singing and kept going through it. But that was. That was rather embarrassing and funny. Yeah, I think I will remember that one for a while. Absolutely. And for you, Elizabeth. Oh, yeah. Many, many, many years ago, I remember doing a concert, and I don't remember where it was. It was somewhere in London. And for anybody who's listening out there, pedalling is a great part, is a very important part of piano playing. And during the concert, the lyre fell off. I don't know if that's ever happened to you, Nigel, but literally, that happened to me. No, the liar literally just fell off. And so I'm sitting in the middle of the concert thinking, now, pedal. No pedal. Oh, my gosh. I need to. Oh, my goodness. I need to think of some organist fingerings. I mean, luckily there were some pianists in the audience, so somehow managed to get it back up for the second half, but. The second half. So you went on for the first part. It's a scary thing that is. Could they fall on your feet? I mean. Well, not because it would. No, because obviously you had it on. You had your feet on top. Yeah, exactly. Who was it who said, and the pedal is the soul of the piano? Was that chopper? I think it was. So it's a piano without a soul. Yes, absolutely. Actually, that's how I found my piano. It was in the. I was gonna choose the piano, and I couldn't find the one I liked. You know, it's like choosing a husband in a way. It becomes your baby, doesn't it? It's your son if you're. There was no piano. I liked that. I was so upset. I was like, how can we do that? I need the piano. And the technician was working on a piano with no pedal. And. And I said, can I please try this one? It's like, what? But there is no pedal. Like, yeah, but I need to try, please. It was like calling me, you know, and so I go on it. And the keyboard was amazing. And I knew that once he fit in, the pedal would have been fantastic. But, yeah, I mean, it is scary. You can't really work without pedal. Absolutely. Okay, so what is the next project apart from the concert that is going to be next Thursday? Where exactly? The concert? It's Hind Street Methodist Church, Thursday 28th November, 7 o'. Clock. At 7 o' clock you will listen tickets on sale from the London Song Festival website or on the door. Wonderful. So after that there will be more concerts together or. We're working on it. Wonderful ideas afoot. Okay, so the last song of today is gonna be Villalobos Cancelena played by Sang Sorry by Lorena Patnieto. Holy. Race. Is now. And this was Villa Lobos Cancelena sung by the wonderful Lorena Patneto. If you have any questions that you would like to ask to our guest or nomination for our future Classic Women awards, please email presentersomensradiostation.com or tweet us @womensradios. A big thanks to our guests pianist Nigel, Lorena and Elizabeth for the great chat and beautiful music played today. You've been listening to Future Classic Women Awards on women's radio station live every day at 10am and 10pm London time. If you want to listen to it again or catch up on our previous programs, you can head to the presenter page. Stefania Passamonte Future Classic Women Awards on womensradiostation.com thank you for listening. Welcome to Women's radio station. I'm Sarah Louise Ryan and welcome to Love Lessons live on Women's radio station. Hello and welcome to Future Classic Women awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on women's radio station. Hello and welcome to Julie Mae is listening. Hi, this is Anna Kennedy and we're at women's radio station supporting women's wellbeing and we're talking all things autism women. The possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Hi, I'm Lauren Mishkon. I'm a birth doula and mum of three and I'm passionate about supporting women to have empowering and positive birth experiences. Please join me for my brand new show from tummy to Mummy here on women's radio station. Every week I'll be here with an expert guest talking about women's reproductive health, everything, fertility, pregnancy, birth and baby related right through to the menopause and beyond. Please join us for an informative and fun hour. My name is Ingrid Marsh and I host the radical wellbeing show supporting women's wellbeing. On my show I bring you ordinary women like me and you who are sharing their unique stories. Women who have refused to be defined by their pains to be silenced by stigma or crushed by stereotypes, and who are taking back their power. And together, our mission is a simple one. And that's to inspire you to kick away the roadblocks too, to don your wings and be the person that you were born to be. Hi, I'm Hazel Butterfield, a blogger, book lover and mental health advocate and you can listen to my show get booked here at Women's Radio Station daily at 5am and 5pm throughout my shows we'll talk about the books I've read, new releases, chapter authors, publishers and book enthusiasts, all with the theme and aim of supporting women's emotional well being. If you have a book to tell us about, get in touch@presentersomensradiostation.com join me on my show and share my love of books and writing. Do you want to be a doula? Would you like to support families through pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period? Do you have qualities of compassion, listening, caring and empowering? At Nurturing Birth we offer approved doula training courses across the UK which are facilitated by an award winning doula. Here you will learn more about the support you can offer, explore the doula role and think about how to set up your business. No need for previous qualifications. Find out more at nurturingbirth.co.uk. You're listening to Women's Radio Station supporting women's well being. Women's Radio Station's creating a global network for the empowerment of women and we want you to be involved. Join us on Instagram and Twitter womensradiostation, that's womensradiostn or Facebook Women's Radio Station to keep up to date with all our exciting programmes.
