Nicola Lisle talks to opera star Anna Devin about a tuneful cycle ride

If you are in Oxford over the weekend, look out for a team of cyclists who might just seem vaguely familiar – if you are an opera fan, that is.

For these are no Tour de France wannabes but a group of opera stars who have swapped the glamour of the stage for the hard grind of a 500-mile cycle ride to raise funds for Help Musicians UK.

Organised by Scottish tenor Nicky Spence, the cycling marathon runs from Glasgow to London over eight days, with the singers performing concerts in various cities along the way.

Joining Nicky for all or part of the route will be sopranos Ailish Tynan, Mary Bevan, Louise Alder and Anna Devin, bass Brindley Sherratt, pianist Simon Lepper, and Help Musicians UK award recipients Timothy Connor, Emma Kerr, Peter Aisher and Nick Pritchard.

The group arrives in Oxford from Birmingham on Saturday, before setting off on the final leg, Oxford to London, on Sunday.

Anna Devin, who joins the star-studded team for that final leg, will also be giving a free, 45-minute lieder recital at the Holywell Music Room on Saturday, alongside mezzo soprano Katie Bray and accompanist Sholto Kynoch.

“The whole point of the recital is obviously for people to come along and enjoy themselves and hopefully learn a bit about Help Musicians UK and be willing to make donations on the day,” Anna explains.

“We’ll also be welcoming the guys who are cycling from Birmingham that day. Hopefully they’ll arrive in time for the recital!”

So what sort of programme can we expect on Saturday? “I’m planning to sing some Grieg songs, his Sechs Lieder Op.48,” Anna says. “Grieg is a Norwegian composer but these are his famous German songs and they’re absolutely beautiful.

“There are six of them, and they’ve got a lovely story, but I also felt they’re not too highbrow. They’re very accessible songs, but they’re still a wonderful part of the general song repertoire.”

Anna hopes the programme will appeal to lovers of all kinds of music, even those unfamiliar with lieder and opera.

“I hope people who have nothing to do with classical music will feel they’ll be able to connect to the music and come along. Because Help Musicians UK doesn’t only help classical musicians, they look after all different genres of music. People shouldn’t feel they can’t come just because the concert is presented from a classical perspective.”

Anna herself has reason to be grateful to Help Musicians UK, having received two of the charity’s awards – the Maggie Teyte Prize and Miriam Licette Scholarship – during her student days at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

She has also seen one of her colleagues helped through a difficult vocal operation thanks to funding from Help Musicians UK.

Now she is happy to be giving a bit back by switching from singing to cycling – albeit temporarily.

“I’m more of a runner, and I’ve never cycled more than 10 miles on the road,” she admits. “Most of the cycling I do is on a spinning bike, not a road bike. But I’m hoping being strong and fit will help.

“The most important thing about the event is for people to come along and enjoy the fun, but also obviously to donate so hopefully we can hit our £25,000 target.”

  • Oxford Lieder Recital
  • Holywell Music Room
  • Saturday, 5pm
  • For details and to donate: helpmusicians.org.uk