The London Song Festival:

Small Performing Arts Event of the Year 2023.

(seventh annual Greater London Awards)

The LSF's mission is to "fly the flag" for the wonderful art-form of song, collating recitals with repertoire ranging from Schubert to Britten and beyond.  It is a unique joining together of music and poetry that is capable of expressing great beauty and emotional depth in ways that can equal or even surpass any other genre.

The 2024 London Song Festival Summer Season:

“A Feast of English Song”
6th – 29th June 2024

LSF Director Nigel Foster writes:

The five concerts of the 2024 Summer Season of the London Song Festival focus on the wonderful world of English Song. We begin with a concert of Comedy songs that is guaranteed to have you rolling in the aisles with songs by Flanders and Swann, Tom Lehrer, Jeremy Nicholas, Victoria Wood, Tim Minchin, Dillie Keane and many more. This is followed by a celebration of the centenary of Madeleine Dring, featuring both her beautiful art-songs and the songs she wrote for West End revues, and a concert on the subject of ships and the sea, celebrating the centenary of the first Shipping Forecast to be broadcast on British radio (I like to celebrate weird anniversaries...) The series also includes two prize-winners’ concerts, given by the winners of the 2022 LSF British Art Song Competition, which had to be postponed from last year, and the winners of the 2023 LSF Schubert Song Competition.

I am thrilled to be joined by some outstanding singers  for these concerts: including Michael Gibson, currently on the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme of the Royal Opera House, Kate Royal, who has sung leading roles for Covent Garden, Glyndebourne, ENO, Teatro Real Madrid and the Met in New York, Lotte Betts-Dean, recently announced as the winner of the 2024 Royal Philharmonic Society’s Young Artist Award, Jess Dandy, who has been called “the foremost British contralto of her generation”, and Gareth Brynmor John, a favourite at Wigmore Hall, Oxford International Song Festival, Ryedale Festival and Leeds Lieder.

All the concerts are at the LSF’s usual venue of Hinde Street church in the heart of London’s West End. Tickets are now available to buy on the Concerts Page of this website, where you will find details of the eight concerts. Tickets are priced at £20, £15 (usual concessions*) and a special price for students at £5.

*Ticket concessions are available to those under 18, students, over 65, registered unemployed or registered disabled.

Testimonies from past attendees:

"Superbly organised and executed. World class singers – Thank you"

Our Founder:

Nigel Foster was born in London and studied piano at the Royal Academy of Music, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Graham Johnson, and also privately with Roger Vignoles. At both the Academy and the Guildhall he won every prize and award available for piano accompaniment, and has been appointed an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music. 

Nigel enjoys a busy schedule performing on the concert platform. He has played for artists including the late Philip Langridge, Sarah Walker, Ian Partridge, Roderick Williams, Neil Jenkins, Yvonne Kenny, Jeremy Huw Williams, Maire Flavin, Anna Devin, Ruby Hughes, Gillian Keith, Nicky Spence, Jane Manning, Marcus Farnsworth, Benedict Nelson and violinist Madeleine Mitchell, as well as many of Britain's leading young singers. He performs at major venues including the Wigmore Hall, South Bank Centre, St John Smith Square and Royal Opera House (Crush Room) in London, and St David's Hall in Cardiff. 

In his formative years Nigel played for Graham Johnson's Songmakers Almanac, the Park Lane Group and several opera companies including Glyndebourne. Nigel has worked with John Eliot Gardiner CBE, and he has happy memories of his time as a rehearsal pianist for the late Georg Solti, playing for singers including Renee Fleming, Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna. Nigel worked closely with Sarah Walker in the Vocal Department at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. 

Nigel's CD recordings include several discs of contemporary music and anthologies of songs of Alun Hoddinott and Mansel Thomas with baritone Jeremy Huw Williams for the Sain label. He features on the soundtrack of the French film L'Homme est une Femme Comme les Autres. 

Nigel performs extensively abroad. He has played all over Europe, Asia (Japan, Malaysia), New Zealand and the Americas (USA, Canada, Colombia) and has broadcast on BBC Radio 3, Classic FM and on French, Welsh and Greek television.