Ann Martin-Davis (piano) & Susan Legg (mezzo soprano)

The music of Francis Poulenc is known for it's enduring qualities of charm, lyricism and vivacity.  What is less known is that the composer was even more in demand as a public speaker.  Poulenc was particularly known for his 'chatty style', which is something I hope to bring to this programme that explores his early years, and background, that makes him the composer that we know and love today.   Ann Martin-Davis

Mouvements Perpétuels (1918)

i.Assèz modéré, ii. Très modéré, iii. Alerte

Sonate for Piano, Four Hands (1918)

i. Prelude, ii. Rustique. iii. Final  

Trios Pieces (1918 - 1928)

i.Pastorale. iii. Toccata

Novelette no iii (1959)

Stravinsky,    Histoire du Soldat (1918)

i. Marche du Soldat, ii. Le Violon du Soldat  

Le Bestiare, poems by Guillaume Apollinaire (1919)  

i.Le Dromadaire, ii. La Chévre du Thibet, iii. La Sauterelle, iv. Le Dauphin, v. L’Ecrevisse, vi. La Carpe 

Milhaud, ‘Nothing Doing’ from ‘Boeuf Sur le Toit.’

Novelette no ii    (1928)

ANN MARTIN-DAVIS    Piano

Ann Martin-Davis’s love of 20th century and contemporary art crosses all genres and this has led to a career finding new and appealing ways of presenting solo piano and chamber music. 

Her work has ‘reinvigorated chamber music’ (The Times) and her innovations in this area were recognised by the Royal Philharmonic Society when her Sound Bites (Nigella Lawson recipe songs) programme was nominated alongside Glyndebourne Opera for its prestigious Audience Development Award.

Ann Martin-Davis studied at the Royal College of Music with Phyllis Sellick, where she won the College's premier piano prize, the Chappell Gold Medal. A series of awards led to a South Bank debut and she subsequently won scholarships to study with Arie Vardi in Hanover and Gyorgy Sebok at the Banff School in Canada.

At this time Ann played to the Polish composer Witold Lutosławski and her subsequent disc of his solo piano and chamber works was described, amongst other rave reviews, as ‘beautiful and exquisite’ by BBC Music Magazine.  Her most recent disc for Guild of works by Ravel has also been critically acclaimed; described by Musicweb International as enjoying a 'sparkling energy’ and by Gramophone ‘delicacy and simplicity; it’s tender melancholy are thoroughly convincing’.

In addition to her playing, Ann teaches students from the Royal College of Music Junior Department and was recently Visiting Scholar to the the University of Oxford. She has been described as an ‘inspirational’ coach and presenter and during the last five years she has trained piano teachers throughout South East Asia, Australia and the UK for numerous music professional associations.

Ann lives in France and is co artistic director of ‘Piano at Le Maillard’, which hosts retreats in the Charente and online workshops for pianists and teachers.

'A distinguished scholar and pianist’               Gramophone Magazine

Susan Legg – Mezzo Soprano

Since winning the National Mozart Singing Competition, Susan’s career has taken her to major venues worldwide. She has given recitals at the Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room and St. John, Smith’s Square, has performed at Glyndebourne, Bayreuth, Wexford and Aldeburgh Festivals, the Walton Trust, Ischia and toured Handel’s Messiah in Mexico.

Susan has broadcast for BBC Radio 3, Norwegian Radio and has freelanced with the BBC Singers. She regularly sings for film, TV and games. In 2019 she featured on ITV’s Endeavour as the tragic opera diva in Matthew Slater’s TV opera La Sposa del Demonio.

Recent engagements include Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis in Queen Elizabeth Hall, Mozart’s Requiem in Cadogan Hall and Rossinis’s Petite Messe Solennelle in Dorchester Abbey.

With pianist Ann Martin-Davis, the duo’s CD of Lutoslawski chamber music, described as ‘beautiful and exquisite‘ by BBC Music Magazine led to a disc for Nimbus Label. ‘Heaven-Haven,‘ The Songs of Peter Pope. The duo commissioned song-cycles from Graham Fitkin, Howard Skempton and Gabriel Jackson, which they toured in major UK musical and poetry festivals. Their project Mr James’ Garden celebrated music, sculpture and Edward James’s surrealist Mexican garden Las Pozas. With specially commissioned Mexican artwork, it premiered in Mexico City with UK performances in Henley and Petworth Festivals.

During the first Lockdown Susan wrote the song “Hold on Tight” which she performed and recorded with Guy Fletcher from Dire Straits, raising money for NHS Charities Together.

Susan studied singing and piano as joint first studies at the Royal College of Music and National Opera Studio. She lives near the sea in West Sussex.