Classical June Warwickshire.qxp_Layout 1 22/05/2022 15:23 Page 2
Classical music from across the region...
Classical
Ex Cathedra: Summer Music By Candlelight Hereford Cathedral, Wed 15 June; St Paul’s Church, Birmingham, Tues 21 & Wed 22 June
Jeffrey Skidmore (pictured) once again picks up the baton to conduct Birmingham’s highly rated early music ensemble, on this occasion in a concert that Ex Cathedra confidently predict will see people heading for home singing of summertime. The programmes for these annual gettogethers, presented by candlelight as dusk falls, move seamlessly from seasonal favourites to rare, rediscovered, contemporary and lighter repertoire.
The London Concertante: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Coventry Cathedral, Fri 17 June; Worcester Cathedral, Fri 24 June
While it’s a given that they take the business of musicmaking extremely seriously, there’s certainly nothing stuffy about the London Concertante. Indeed, 50 percent of people who attend a performance by this 31-year-old chamber orchestra are first-time classical music concert-goers - a statistic which speaks volumes for the ensemble’s commitment to remaining at all times light-of-touch and refreshingly accessible. Although most readily associated with the music of Mozart, Beethoven and Bach, the
Concertante here turn their attention to Italian Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi and his most famous work... Portraying both dramatic and serene scenes of spring, summer, autumn and winter in a pastoral setting, The Four Seasons’ concertos are nowadays familiar not only to classical music afficionados but also the wider public, thanks to regularly featuring in popular culture. In fact, according to IMDb, the composition has been used, to one degree or another, in at least 100 different films and television shows.
Armonico Consort
CBSO: Handel’s Messiah
Malvern Theatres, Wed 22 June; The Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick, Thurs 30 June
Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Wed 8 June
Now here’s an absolute treat for royalists and/or people of a certain vintage... the ever-brilliant and hugely talented Armonico Consort pay their respects to Her Majesty The Queen on the occasion of her platinum jubilee by recreating the highlights of her 1953 coronation service. Featuring works by Parry, Handel, Walton and Vaughan Williams, the concert is narrated by former ITV News royal correspondent Nicholas Owen. Christopher Monks conducts.
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Chorus here gets its teeth into the challenge of performing Handel’s magnificent choral masterpiece for the very first time. A work which tells the story of Christ's Nativity, Passion, Resurrection and Ascension, the Messiah features the rousing Hallelujah Chorus and is one of classical music’s best-known works. Baroque specialist Richard Egarr is the conductor while Mary Bevan (pictured) showcases her skills as soprano.
The Sixteen: The Choral Pilgrimage 2022 St Mary’s Church, Warwick, Sat 4 June
The Sixteen were formed by conductor Harry Christophers more than 40 years ago with the aim of providing a fresh insight into Baroque, early classical and more contemporary music. With over 100 recordings under their belt and numerous accolades to their name, they return to the Midlands this month to perform a concert comprising Hubert Parry’s Songs Of Farewell, three short pieces by Thomas Campion, a new work by Cecilia McDowall and a selection of medieval carols.
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