Acclaimed countertenor Magid El-Bushra tells the story of a lonely Muslim boy who dares to imagine a different world.

A Willesden Liederkreis (‘A Willesden Song-Cycle’) is a funny, provocative and touching new work from acclaimed countertenor Magid El-Bushra, based on Schumann’s famous opus 39 song cycle. Bringing his “vocal beauty and fine presence” (Opera Magazine) to an eclectic range of music – from Handel and Schumann to Weill and Sondheim, Bjork and Nina Simone – he tells the story of a lonely Muslim boy, trapped in 1980s suburbia, who dares to imagine a different world.

Tosca and Madama Butterfly director Julia Burbach co-curates the evening, which premieres at Grimeborn and plays for two performances only.