Early music ensembles have long taken their music to surprising places. Booking an early music concert frequently offers the joy of discovering new venues and hidden gems. Some programmes are influenced by the venue, and sometimes the place infuses a performance with its own layer of magic and meaning. Whether historic or contemporary, these venues help the music to feel both timeless and immediate.
The Vauxhall Band have chosen the Crossrail Place Roof Garden, an impressive glass-covered space at Canary Wharf which is home to exotic plants and flowers, for their concert on 9 July*. Rooftop venues offer a modern twist, blending cityscapes with the sounds of early music. Taking their 18th-Century London Flautist programme to a place so different from its original home in the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens will most certainly demonstrate the timelessness of their music. You can read more about their programme here.
*supported by a grant from Continuo Foundation
At the other end of the architectural spectrum, the Choir of the Chapels Royal will give a concert on 10 July, as part of the Spitalfields Music Festival. The choir will perform works rich with history in one of Britain's most famous buildings, the Tower of London. Taking place in the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula, which has resonated with this music for over 400 years, this concert offers a truly immersive experience.
You will find Musica Antica Rotherhithe very much down to earth, when joining them for a Twilight Baroque concert on 28 July in one of Europe’s oldest botanic gardens. Since 1673, Chelsea Physic Garden has been evolving with the world around it. Originally established by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, this has been a teaching garden for over 350 years. Bring a picnic blanket and enjoy a summer’s evening in the historic garden. Lush greenery and aromatic herbs provide a serene backdrop for Italian and French music from the late 16th and 17th centuries.
The rugged charm of an old barn or mill can also provide a unique atmosphere that resonates with the rich tones of period instruments. The Consone Quartet will present a new Barnstorming! series beginning with a concert on 10 July* at Riverhouse Barn, Walton-on-Thames, where they will explore the sextet repertoire together with Francesca Gilbert (viola) and Alex Rolton (cello). Sounds Historical will visit Sophie’s Barn, in the quaint Oxfordshire village of Chacombe, for a concert on 25 July* with a programme that spans 600 years of music from Hildegard to Haydn.
Leeds Baroque return to The Old Woollen for a concert on 28 July. The venue, part of a converted worsted mill at Sunny Bank Mills, provides a relaxed café-style space offering an intriguing contrast to the programme: The Glory of Versailles.
*supported by a grant from Continuo Foundation
Ensemble Hesperi are taking a programme of Handel and his colleagues to the Scottish Borders for a concert on 23 July at Paxton House. An exceptional example of 18th-century Georgian design and taste, this house has stories to share and is more than just a beautiful backdrop.
Back in south London, Zarek Trio present a concert on 25 July* at Rocket Van in Lambeth. In contrast to the manor house, this local community hub known for its regular live events, will be hosting its very first ‘classical music’ concert. Within this relaxed set-up, Zarek Trio will introduce a new audience to JS Bach and Buxtehude.
*supported by a grant from Continuo Foundation
We hope you are as impressed as we are by the sheer variety of locations and programmes in the early music scene. Have you discovered any unexpected concert venues? If so, please share them with us in the comments below!
To keep you refreshed, our July playlist is all about water and its Ebb and Flow - music to keep you cool, captivated and curious for more.
Until next time,
Kirsten & the Continuo Connect team