 |
Links
|
 | |
|
Early music festival at Greenwich |
|
Following its enormous success in 2004, the Greenwich International Festival & Exhibition of Early Music is returning to Greenwich for its fourth consecutive year. The Festival, promoted jointly by The Early Music Shop, Trinity College of Music and The Greenwich Foundation, is the largest UK event of its kind and continues to welcome an ever-increasing number of visitors to this essential annual fixture in the early music calendar. The 17th century buildings of the Old Royal Naval College with the elaborate Painted Hall and exquisite Chapel, as well as Trinity College of Music’s King Charles Court, provide the perfect setting for a weekend of all things early music.
The Festival is in two parts: exhibition and performance. The exhibition is set against the magnificent backdrop of the historic Painted Hall, attracting some 100 exhibitors from around the globe, including instrument makers, shops, music publishers, recording companies, societies and forums - all under one roof. There is the widest range of instruments imaginable: from lutes and flutes through sackbuts and spinets to hurdy gurdies and harpsichords.
Performance events take place throughout the weekend in several venues including the Chapel of the Old Royal Naval College, Trinity College of Music in King Charles Court, St Alfege Church in Greenwich and at Blackheath Halls. Free makers’ demonstration recitals take place every hour throughout the weekend in the Admiral’s House and workshops and masterclasses with some of the finest early musicians take place with Trinity students in King Charles Court.
Trinity College of Music Showcase leads the performances, with, students and professors from Trinity College of Music including cellist Susan Sheppard, harpsichordist John Henry, Philip Thorby and early dance expert, Stephen Preston. Philip Thorby, who is one of the leading names in early music today, directs Trinity’s Early Music Vocal Ensemble on Saturday 12 November at 7.45pm in Telemann’s Paris Quartets & Cantatas from Harmonischer Gottesdienst and foremost exponent of baroque cello, Susan Sheppard performs as part of the ‘Blackheath Sundays’ series in recital (11.00am, Sunday 13 November, Blackheath Halls). She is accompanied by David Miller, lute and theorbo in music by Bach, Weiss, Gabrielli and Vivaldi and ticket (£13.50, £11 conc.) includes complimentary coffee and croissants from 10am.
The Festival boasts a number of free masterclasses by early music legends such as organist James Johnstone (11.15am – 1.45pm, Friday 11 November, The Peacock Room), harpsichordist John Henry (2.15pm – 4.15pm, Friday 11 November, The Peacock Room) and a natural trumpet masterclass with Robert Farley (10.30am – 1.00pm, Saturday 12 November, St Alfege Church).
And there are a number of performances at just £1.00. Dance and early music combine in TCM’s Theatre Studio with Stephen Preston and Sarah Cremer (12.45pm – 2.45pm, Friday 11 November); virtuoso recorder music spanning the centuries and featuring works by Bach, Byrd and Murphy is performed by The Flautadors at 3.00pm, Friday 11 November in the Chapel; and Robert Farley joins TCM students in a concert featuring dance music for Brass, from 16th century to the Baroque, played on natural trumpets, sackbuts and cornets (5.00pm, Saturday 12 November, ORNCC).
And in the evening Jeremy West directs a performance of His Majesty’s Sagbutts and Cornetts at St Alfege Church at 6.30pm on Friday 11 November and music on hurdy gurdies, bagpipes and other traditional instruments from one of the most unusual and versatile ‘traditional’ music groups in the UK will emanate from Blackheath Halls on Friday 11 November from 8.15pm when a superb caller and ensemble combine in Ceilidh with Pettridge Light Orchestra.
The weekend closes with the 2005 Moeck/SRP Solo Recorder Playing Competition Final. Paul Leenhouts, Pierre Hamon and Ian Wilson will judge the competition in the Peacock Room, King Charles Court at 1.00pm – 5.00pm, Sunday 14 November. |