The English Concert with Iestyn Davies
The English Concert at Christ Church Spitalfields is joined by renowned theatrical countertenor Iestyn Davies.
courtesy of Christ Church Spitalfields
Hearing baroque music in a period setting is always a delight, but the English Concert’s December appearance at Christ Church Spitalfields promises to be something very special indeed. Performing as part of the Spitalfields Music Winter Festival, they will be joined by the distinguished countertenor Iestyn Davies for a night of spiritual wonder and unearthly beauty.
The evening will be bookended by masterpieces from Bach. Proceedings will being with excerpts from his Christmas Oratorio, focusing on two countertenor arias. Then, to close, Davies will lead the five-movement cantata Vergnügte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust (‘Delightful rest, beloved pleasure of soul’). Beginning with a pastoral account of inner tranquility and ending with a triumphant calling to heaven, it is religious music of the most exquisite order.
Between the Bach, the Concert will perform works by three other eighteenth-century composers. The Concerti Armonico No. 8 is one of the most important works by the Dutch aristocrat Unico Wilhelm van Wassenaer, and was once thought to be a work of Pergolesi. Danish organ-master Dieterich Buxtehude’s Jubilate Domino is a vocal concerto that boasts exuberant passages for the viola da gamba. And Locatelli’s Concerto Grosso No. 8 is a refined and virtuosic gem of the Italian baroque, originally performed by the composer himself.
Iestyn Davies’ talent for singing manifested early, with childhood roles in the choir of St John’s Cambridge and Wells Cathedral. He has since carved an enviable reputation as a theatrical and choral soloist, with operatic roles around the world. In 2010 he was named the Royal Philharmonic Society’s ‘Young Artist of the Year’, whilst in 2012 he became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music.
The English Concert can justly claim to be one of Europe’s finest baroque ensembles. Founded in 1972 by harpsichord maestro Trevor Pinnock, it has recorded much of the period repertoire. In recent years, they have worked with the likes of Ian Bostridge, Sarah Connolly and Lucy Crowe.
The evening will be bookended by masterpieces from Bach. Proceedings will being with excerpts from his Christmas Oratorio, focusing on two countertenor arias. Then, to close, Davies will lead the five-movement cantata Vergnügte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust (‘Delightful rest, beloved pleasure of soul’). Beginning with a pastoral account of inner tranquility and ending with a triumphant calling to heaven, it is religious music of the most exquisite order.
Between the Bach, the Concert will perform works by three other eighteenth-century composers. The Concerti Armonico No. 8 is one of the most important works by the Dutch aristocrat Unico Wilhelm van Wassenaer, and was once thought to be a work of Pergolesi. Danish organ-master Dieterich Buxtehude’s Jubilate Domino is a vocal concerto that boasts exuberant passages for the viola da gamba. And Locatelli’s Concerto Grosso No. 8 is a refined and virtuosic gem of the Italian baroque, originally performed by the composer himself.
Iestyn Davies’ talent for singing manifested early, with childhood roles in the choir of St John’s Cambridge and Wells Cathedral. He has since carved an enviable reputation as a theatrical and choral soloist, with operatic roles around the world. In 2010 he was named the Royal Philharmonic Society’s ‘Young Artist of the Year’, whilst in 2012 he became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music.
The English Concert can justly claim to be one of Europe’s finest baroque ensembles. Founded in 1972 by harpsichord maestro Trevor Pinnock, it has recorded much of the period repertoire. In recent years, they have worked with the likes of Ian Bostridge, Sarah Connolly and Lucy Crowe.
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| What | The English Concert with Iestyn Davies |
| Where | Christ Church Spitalfields, Commercial St, London, E1 6LY | MAP |
| Nearest tube | Liverpool Street (underground) |
| When |
On 11 Dec 14, 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM |
| Price | £5-£35 |
| Website | Click here to book via the Spitalfields Music website |