★★★

Sidonie Winter and Lesley Anne Sammon’s recital was a lunchtime feast with starters of Mozart and Schubert, mains of Liszt and Faure and desserts of Strauss and Novello – all quite delicious, and a gentle preamble through the songs of history.

The hitch was Sidonie Winter ‘s tendency to sing the notes prettily enough without telling the story. Despite this she largely rose to the challenge of this demanding programme, adeptly singing in German, French and English.

A cosy type, Winter is almost like your favourite Auntie who tells you stories from the bygone past. In the Ivor Novello, however, she shone both vocally and dramatically. The stories of My Dearest Dear and Love is my Reason poured forth, only to be trumped by her encore We’ll gather lilacs whereupon the Chapel Royal melted – and it wasn’t from the heat outside.