The Little Song Party

West country-based voice and square piano duo Penelope Appleyard and Jonathan Delbridge curate and perform creative, semi-theatrical recital programmes on historical themes, and are currently focussing on domestic music connected to Jane Austen. Frequently to be found in period dress, chauffeuring 209 year old Lady Catherine (a Broadwood square piano) around the UK in a Skoda estate, Penelope and Jonathan are touring their programme ‘Sense & Musicality’ in celebration of the writer’s 250th Anniversary.

In their first year of collaboration, The Little Song Party have already given sold-out performances at Newbury Spring Festival and Jane Austen’s House, as well as many other series throughout the UK. They have recently recorded a collection of three Jane Austen related tracks, all of which feature in this programme. ‘Song from Burns’ and ‘Robin Adair’ are already released and available to stream/download on all platforms, with commission ‘Ode to Pity’ (a musical setting of Jane Austen’s poem of 1793) following on 19th September. The release is marked by this celebratory concert as part of the annual Jane Austen Festival. The first two tracks have been played on BBC Radio3’s Breakfast Show, and an article about the project has just been published in Interlude Magazine.

Later in the year they look forward to appearing as part of the VOCES8 Foundation’s popular ‘Live From London’ Christmas series, and a busy 2026, including a return to Jane Austen’s House with new Pride & Prejudice themed programme ‘A Prettyish Kind of little Wilderness’.