Promoting the enjoyment and understanding of music composed before 1800
Author: Barbara Dunn
Barbara trained as a teacher and worked for most of her career in Primary Education, eventually serving as a headteacher in Reading and then in Worcester, before taking early retirement.
She has been involved with Worcestershire Early Music from its beginning, delivering workshops and organising concerts and the Pride and Prejudice Ball. Barbara is an enthusiastic amateur musician, playing regularly in many different formal and informal gatherings. She performs with the Gloucester Waits on flutes and recorders
On the morning of Friday 22nd June students from Birmingham Conservatoire gave a splendid concert, including works by Monteverdi, Couperin, Telemann, and Boismortier on various instruments including recorders, flute, Baroque cello, and harpsichord. We extend our thanks to Martin Perkins, and Elizabeth Pallett, tutors at the Conservatoire, who gave their time to support the event. The concert drew a good sized audience, and looks set to be a permanent fixture in the Worcestershire Early Music summer season of events.
Our Outreach programme aims to broaden our audience base in order to progress towards greater financial independence. This year’s programme starts on Wednesday March 21st, European Early Music Day, with one of three events at Worcester’s Commandery Museum, when members of K’Antu Early Music group will perform to visitors to the museum between 2.30pm and 3.30pm. Further dates are Saturday 28th April when a performance by Blondel will be given as part of our Festival, and on Thursday June 22nd when K’Antu return to celebrate Making Music Day.
Our 2018 festival is shaping up well and our festival brochure is nearly ready. Here’s what you can be looking forward to:
Friday 27th April 2018 at 7.30pm Rachel Podger will be playing a programme of solo violin music including works by Bach and Biber
Saturday 28th April 2018 at 7.30pm Blondel will be playing a programme of wind music from the Medieval and Renaissance period.
Sunday 29th April 2018 at 3pm David Hatcher will direct Linarol Consort of Viols performing music from early 16th century Germany, with tenor Matthew Pochin
These all take place in Old St Martin’s, Cornmarket in Worcester.
In addition the monthly coffee concert at St Martin’s London Road at 10.15am on Saturday 28th April will feature baroque music from Rococo, local musicians Jane Charles (baroque flute), Angela Cranmore (viola da gamba ) and David Brookshaw continuo.
And on the afternoon of Saturday 28th April, Blondel will be playing to visitors in the Commandery Museum…a building with a hugely significant history here in Worcester.
So you see there’s plenty to do when you visit our festival…and there will be, for the first time a concession for those buying tickets for all three ticketed events………what’s not to like?
Tickets will be on sale from 1st December…watch this space
