From highbrow to hoi polloi in music at Boxgrove Priory

They invite you to join them as they wind their path through the “heartbreakingly delicate to the rousing and raucous, from the silvery perfection of Mozart and Beethoven, via the fire and mischief of Strauss and Bizet, to the raw humanity of Poulenc, Satie and Louiguy.”

Tickets are available on https://chichesterboxoffice.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873653697

Bibi explains: “The collaboration with Milos began with Opera North when they paired us to do a Bohemian programme. That was about eight years ago. But I'd worked with him before with Kosmos. I knew him from earlier.

“And when we did this Bohemian programme, I rather liked the idea of upstairs and downstairs so that you get how the high classes are enjoying their evening and how the servants are also enjoying themselves below stairs. And playing accordion meant that we could play in some really interesting spaces that don't have a piano. One was a brilliant wine bar downstairs in Leeds where they put on the most classy French evening. That was the first time we'd done it as an upstairs downstairs type programme rather than as part of a more operatic programme.

“And I just love the juxtapositions. We had great fun doing it and there's such a huge range of composers that lend themselves to this approach. It's easy to get the raw humanity of the cafe songs but also we really want to find the day-to-day humanity of the more cultured operatic songs. And so we just kept adding. We gradually grew the repertoire and as I say, there's a huge range of composers that really work for this.

“We do it a couple of times a year probably. It is perennially popular. We get asked to do other stuff in between but when you suggest programmes to promoters, they always seem to pick this one out. It's really immediate. We generally include a smattering of something new to keep it varied and it just appeals to people.

“Milos is an exceptional musician. He so intuitive. It's almost like his instrument melts into him. It feels like it becomes part of him and when you're working with him, once he understands what you're trying to do, he can just make it happen. He is so at one with his instrument. Once he understands where you are going, he can just create anything whether it's Bach or Handel or Purcell or Bizet or Louiguy. He just completely gets it, and the sounds that he gets from it are just extraordinary. There's just something about a collaboration with somebody that is absolutely able to create the world that you're wanting. It's just so rewarding, and we just spark off each other.”

Bibi’s operatic, concert and oratorio performances span venues including Konzerthaus Berlin, Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, Barbican Hall, Ulster Hall, Cadogan Hall, St John’s Smith Square, Sage Gateshead, Glasgow City Hall, and Brighton Dome and Chichester Cathedral. She has performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Orchestra of Opera North, Ulster Orchestra, Tercia Realidad, and the Europaïsches Barockorchester.