Baritone Matthew Clark and pianist Richard Lennox perform Gerald Finzi’s song cycle Before and After Summer, alongside songs by Schumann and Brahms. One of the key figures of 20th century British song writing, Finzi fills his music with his love of poetry and evocations of the natural world. He lived for a time in Painswick, Gloucestershire and maintained a close connection with the area, with several of his works being performed at the Three Choirs Festival. In these songs he sets texts by Thomas Hardy which move through themes of time, love and loss.