Spitalfields Music Winter Festival

There's a lot on at this year's Spitalfields Music Festival, with a wealth of early music, festival debuts from renowned European ensembles, premieres, exclusive works-in- progress, family orientated concerts and activities and seasonal music from some of the country’s most popular ensembles.
With so much to chose from, here are some of our highlights, especially for young families needing entertainment this Christmas holidays. Click here for the full listings.

Early music: Spitalfields Music Festival
The festival opens on 4 December at Shoreditch Church with viol consort Fretwork and vocal ensemble Red Byrd who together present a series of sound portraits with music by Gibbons, Dering and Ravenscroft. 16th century London is brought to life through a series of intricate works based on the ‘cries’ of the capital’s merchants in days gone by. The concert is part of Bishopsgate Institute’s wider series on The Cries of London, with popular Spitalfields Life blogger The Gentle Author discussing his book of the same name in a pre-concert talk.

Young vocal ensemble The Marian Consort present works inspired by the visitation of the shepherds at the nativity for its Festival debut on 14 December at Shoreditch Church. Directed by Rory McCleery, the performance is centred on Mouton’s motet Quaeramus cum pastoribus, and features works by Guerrero, Morales and Victoria.

Christmas Music
On 8 December at Shoreditch Church, the Aurora Orchestra, conducted by Nicholas Collon and featuring tenor Allan Clayton, present Hans Zender’s interpretation of Schubert’s iconic song cycle Winterreise, with instrumental forces replacing the original piano accompaniment.

The English Concert makes a welcome return to the Festival with a vibrant collection of 17th-century music for the season. On 9 December at Christ Church Spitalfields, Harry Bicket directs a programme centered around two cantatas: Charpentier’s In nativitatem Domini, a retelling of the Christmas story, contrasted with Stradella’s Ah! Troppo è ver.

Festival favourites The Sixteen, conducted by Harry Christophers, return on 12 December at Christ Church Spitalfields. This atmospheric evening centres around the relationship between Mary and her child, with music ranging from renaissance polyphony to more contemporary works, including pieces by Tallis, Byrd, James MacMillan and Tavener’s The Lamb.

Premieres, new commissions and contemporary work
Disappearing Dining Club present a three course seasonal feast in a secret East End location on 5 December, accompanied by an exclusive performance from two acclaimed artists of the contemporary music scene; singer/songwriter Mara Carlyle and viol player Liam Byrne.

On 6 December at the Water Poet’s Underground Picture House, director Thomas Guthrie presents the culmination of a project which began during 2014’s summer festival, with screenings of his musical documentary Death Actually. Featuring Bach’s great motets fused with pub music from around the world, this uplifting film explores attitudes surrounding death and challenges preconceptions through music, singing and dance.

On 11 December, a candlelit Christ Church Spitalfields hosts Songs From the Northern Lands, a late-night a cappella performance by the Choir of Royal Holloway. Directed by Rupert Gough, the programme is an exploration of music by the most celebrated contemporary composers from the Baltics and Scandinavia, including Arvo Pärt’s Magnificat and Einojuhani Rautavaara’s Vespers from Vigilia.

Contemporary group The Riot Ensemble presents an exploration of new music for its festival debut on 7 December at Shoreditch Church. Pairing together the UK premiere of Serbian-Swedish composer Djuro Zivkovic’s I Shall Contemplate Night Music with excepts by JS Bach (one of Zivkovic’s main influences), the programme culminates with a world premiere by experimental Spanish composer Helga Arias Parra, co-commissioned by The Riot Ensemble and Spitalfields Music.

Music for and by young people
A Spitalfields Music festival would not be complete without the hugely popular Musical Rumpus. The organisation’s flagship series for babies and toddlers returns on 4 and 5 December at Rich Mix with Lyrebird, featuring original music by Sam Glazer (musical director) and Zoë Palmer (director / librettist). The piece weaves together a world of sounds and textures through traditional and electronic musical instruments and song. This interactive, multi-sensory performance is especially made for babies up to 21⁄2 years, and arrives at the festival after a UK and international tour.