Brighton Early Music Festival: What’s On

Brighton Early Music Festival, a showcase of early music in the country, will this year run from Friday, October 25 to Sunday, November 10.

The theme this year is PASSION, in all its guides and moods, spread across some of Brighton’s most beautiful buildings.

The programme includes:

• Songs of Sinne & Subversion at St George’s Church is directed by Belinda Sykes and features Joglaresa, who will take you on a trip from medieval music to the here and now with searing vocals, fidel, harp, citole, bass and percussion, on Friday, October 25 at 8pm.

• Passion Body & Soul at Sallis Benny Theatre is directed by Emma Murphy and features Philomel performing sacred and secular songs from Josquin, Palestrina, Victoria, Rore, Lassus and Certon on Saturday, October 26 at 1pm.

• The Early Music Club Night: Club Passion is at St Bartholomew’s Church and features various ensembles and artists, including Little Baroque Company, Il Nuovo Chiaroscuro, Barromini String Quartet, I Flautisti, Flauguissimo, Alison Kinder, Esther Brazil and Greg Skidmore, on Saturday, October 26 from 8pm.

• The Wool Merchant & The Harp is at St Andrew’s Church, Hove and features Leag Stuttard, on harp and voice, telling the story of George Cely, a late 15th century English wool merchant, on Sunday, October 27 at noon.

• 40 Shades of Spem in Alium is at St Bartholomew’s Church with BREMF Consort of Voices, director Deborah Roberts, Chantage, director James Davey and narrator Nigel Pittman performing the music of William Byrd and Thomas Tallis on Sunday, October 27 at 7.30pm.

• Handel in the Wind is at All Saints Church, Hove with Red Priest taking you on a tour of Handel on Friday, November 1 at 8pm.

• Instruments of Passion: Chamber Music by Haydn & Beethoven is at The Old Market, Hove with Trio Goya performing trios by Haydn and Beethoven on Saturday, November 2 at 1pm.

• Passion & The Princess: Marriage, murder and madness at the court of Ferrara is devised and introduced by Laurie Stras at The Old Market, Hove and features Musica Secreta, sopranos Deborah Roberts and Sophia Brumfitt, mezzo soprano Rosie Midgley, Lynda Sayce on lute and chitarrone, Claire Williams on harpsichord and directed by Deborah Roberts. Music includes: Willaert, Rore, Wert, Luzzaschi, Monteverdi and other rare gems of the Ferrarese court, on Saturday, November 2 at 7.30pm.

• Breaking the Rules: a new music-drama on the life of Carlo Gesualdo is at St Bartholomew’s Church and features The Marian Consort, Jadran Duncumb and Celestial Sirens performing Gesualdo’s Tenebrae Responsories, madrigals by Gesualdo and Luzzaschi, with a script by Clare Norburn, on Sunday, November 3 at 7.30pm.

• Downland’s Den: A public masterclass is at St George’s Church with Emma Kirkby and Jacob Heringman providing an insight into the art of interpretation on Thursday, November 7 at 7.30pm.

• The Image of Melancholy: Music by John Dowland is at St George’s Church and features soprano Emma Kirkby, lutist Jacob Heringman alongside sopranos Gwendolen Martin & Anna Thunström, tenor Michael Solomon Williams and lutists Toby Carr, Niki Andronikou, & Wezi Elliot, on Friday, November 8 at 8pm.

• Tall Towers, Husbands – & Other Obstacles to Love is at St Mary’s Church and features The Telling (sopranos Clare Norburn and Yvonne Eddy; harpist Jean Kelly; and Clare Salaman on vielle and hurdy gurdy) performing Troubadour, trouvère music & poetry, and foot-tapping dances, on Saturday, November 9 at 1pm.

• A Public Masterclass with Rachel Podger is at Brighton College and sees Podger demonstrate the secrets behind her baroque violin playing on Saturday, November 9 at 4.30pm.

• Profane Deliriums: Passionate love songs from Portugal and Brazil is at St George’s Church and features L’Avventura; director Žak Ozmo on Spanish and English guitars; flutist Marta Gonçalves; violinist Joanna Lawrence; celloist Natasha Kraemer; Taro Takeuchi on six-course guitar and English guitar; David Gordon on harpsichord; with Joana Seara and Sandra Medeiros sopranos on Saturday, November 9 at 7.30pm.

• Guardian Angel: Violin Recital with Rachel Podger is at the Brighton Dome Corn Exchange with sonatas by Tartini, Matteis and Pisendel; Bach’s Flute Partita in G minor transposed for violin; and Biber’s hauntingly beautiful Guardian Angel, on Sunday, November 10 at 11am.

• J S Bach: St John Passion is directed by John Hancorn at St Bartholomew’s Church and features tenor Andrew Griffiths as Evangelist and bass George Humphreys as Christus, alongside soprano Mhairi Lawson, mezzo soprano Esther Brazil, tenor Nick Pritchard, bass Robert Davies, The BREMF Players, leader Alison Bury, The BREMF Singers, on Sunday November 10 at 7pm.

For a brochure, CLICK HERE: www.bremf.org.uk

Or telephone 01273 833746.

For tickets (ranging from £4-£23), view www.bremf.org.uk (no fee for e-tickets).

Contact the Dome Box Office on 01273 709709 (£2.25 booking fee).