| November 2008 Trio Goya Kati Debretzeni (violin) Maggie Cole (fortepiano) Sebastian Comberti (cello) The members of Trio Goya come together out of a shared love of the Classical trio repertoire, to which they bring the excitement of re-discovering these works through the illuminating lens of period instruments. This programme finds them concentrating on Haydn in three of his later trios. Full of wit and poignancy, with references to music of an earlier time, while looking ahead in ways that still seem radical, the trios offer a feast for both heart and mind. |  |
Website: www.triogoya.com
| November 2008 Bardos Band Bardos Band formed in 2005 to explore the links between medieval music and storytelling. Their exotic collection of instruments – the luxurious string sounds of saz, fiddle, oud and gittern; soft flutes and recorders; intricate percussion timbres of tupan, daf and rik – evoke the timeless tales of love, valour and faith. The Oak of Two Greens and A Song of Nothing bring together early dance and song from Greece, Turkey, Spain, the Balkans, Scandinavia, Scotland and Ireland – a melting pot of rare and beautiful sounds. |  |
Website: www.bardosband.co.uk
| February 2009 Jane Chapman Described by London Metro as ‘the hippest harpsichordist around’ and involved in cutting-edge collaborations with groundbreaking musicians and visual artists, Jane Chapman is equally passionate about contemporary and baroque music. Her programme, All in a Garden Green, explores the natural and mythical world of the harpsichord, with music by Farnaby, Byrd, Sweelinck, F Couperin, Rameau, Tanaka, Takemitsu and Andriessen. |  |
Website: www.janechapman.com
| March 2009 Alessandra Testai & Robin Jeffrey Italian-born soprano Alessandra Testai and lutenist Robin Jeffrey explore the powerfully expressive partnership of voice and lute in a programme embracing many different cultures and historical periods. They perform renaissance Italian and English Elizabethan lute song, together with baroque cantatas, nineteenth century chamber songs and Napoletanas. |  |
| April 2009 Passacaglia Flute and harpsichord music full of grace, intricacy and aching beauty, performed by Workshop Series artistic directors Annabel Knight and Robin Bigwood. Music for the Sun King contrasts ornate and irresistible dance suites by Philidor, Hotteterre and De la Barre with Italian-influenced sonatas by Dornel. |  |
Website: www.passacaglia.com
| November 2009 Passacaglia A Chearful Collection Annabel Knight (flute) Oliver Webber (violin) Reiko Ichise (viola da gamba) Robin Bigwood (harpsichord) Passacaglia’s A Chearful Collection re-discovers an array of wonderfully accessible and tuneful sonatas and keyboard works by Thomas Arne, in celebration of his 300th birthday year in 2010. Complemented with music by contemporaries Handel, Oswald, Abel and JC Bach, some with a regional twist from Scotland and Ireland, Passacaglia offers a tantalising glimpse into the musical world of London’s famous Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. |  |
Website: www.passacaglia.com
| January 2010 Terence Charlston The King’s Hunt This fascinating programme explores the interchange of ideas and musical taste between Restoration England and mainland Europe, especially France. It includes music by Blow, Bull, Froberger, La Barre, Purcell and from the recently discovered Selosse manuscript, performed on the harpsichord and clavichord. |  |
Website: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/terence.charlston
| February 2010 David Breitman Canadian pianist David Breitman returns to The Workshop Series with this wide-ranging programme exploring the development of works for the early piano. Sonatas, variations and fantasias by Haydn, CPE Bach, Beethoven and Mozart. |  |
Web: www.analekta.com/en/artists/David-Breitman.90.html
| February 2010 In Echo La Suave Melodia Gawain Glenton (cornetto/voice) Kirsty Whatley (triple harp) Robert Glenton (bass violin) La Suave Melodia mines the extraordinarily beautiful repertoire of early 17th century Italy to reveal the characters of three contrasting but mutually compatible instruments: the cornetto, triple harp and bass violin. Alongside the towering figures of Monteverdi and Frescobaldi, In Echo presents music by Rognoni, Cima, Falconiero, Trabaci and Kapsberger in a programme of songs and sonatas, both solo and ensemble, sacred and secular, from such culturally enticing cities as Venice, Rome, Naples and Milan. |  |
Website: www.inecho.co.uk
| March 2010 Horses Brawl Wild Lament Laura Cannell (fiddle, recorder, crumhorn) Adrian Lever (guitar) The feisty and experimental duo Horses Brawl draw listeners into a world where driving folk rhythms collide with the high and low musical cultures of ancient Europe and beyond. Improvising around phrases and fragments of music drawn from over eight centuries they transform them into their own mesmerising and spellbinding compositions. |  |
Website: www.horsesbrawl.co.uk
| 7.30pm, Saturday 9th October 2010 Cytheriana Robin Bigwood (clavicytherium) Annabel Knight (flute & recorder) Rebecca Austen-Brown (flute & recorder) Arngeir Hauksson (guitar, theorbo & lute) In celebration of Malcolm Rose's newest creation, a rare copy of a 'clavicytherium' or upright harpsichord from the turn of the 17th century, Workshop Series directors Annabel Knight (recorders/flute) and Robin Bigwood (clavicytherium) welcome back Bardos Band members Rebecca Austen-Brown (fiddle, recorders) and Arngeir Hauksson (lute) to help uncover the music that might have been played on this elusive instrument, which straddles the renaissance and early baroque eras. Music by Cima, Picchi, Frescobaldi, Sweelinck, Lassus, Scheidt and Bull, and an introduction to this intriguing instrument by the maker. |  |
| 4pm, Sunday 21st November 2010 Emerald Baroque Ireland’s Enchantment Breda McKinney (soprano) Laura Justice (recorders) Jennifer Bullock (baroque cello) Bridget Cunningham (director/harpsichord) Emerald Baroque specialises in early Irish music and new music inspired by Ireland, culminating in a perfect blend of styles and arrangements. This concert will include stunning music by O’Carolan and Lyons and features various songs including 'She moved through the Fair'. All members of the group have a classical music background, yet with Irish music in their heritage this gives rise to an authentic performance. They are all leading exponents of Early and Irish music, and together produce a unique sound - haunting, enchanting and inspiring. The director Bridget Cunningham was awarded a Finzi trust scholarship to research early Irish Music and Handel's visit to Dublin. This was the inspiration for this programme, which they have recently released as their first album 'Ireland's Enchantment'. |  |
Website: http://www.bridgetcunningham.org.uk/emerald.php
| Saturday 11th December 2010 The Telling A Medieval Christmas Clare Norburn (soprano) Patience Tomlinson (actress) Emily Askew (medieval fiddle, bagpipes, recorders) Layil Barr (recorders, viol) Joy Smith (harps, dulcimer, percussion) Get ready for Christmas with this intimate candlelit programme which interweaves music and narrative to conjure up the spirit of Christmases past. Through medieval and more recent readings & stories, The Telling celebrates our deep-rooted Christmas traditions, many of which date back to the Middle Ages. The music includes a selection of festive dances and beautiful medieval carols, several of which are still sung today. |  |
Website: http://www.thetelling.co.uk
| 7.30pm, Saturday 26th February 2011 James Johnstone The Art of Fugue Works from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Das Wohltemperierte Clavier and Die Kunst der Fuge, played on harpsichord by renowned Bach interpreter James Johnstone (Sonnerie, Florilegium etc) |  |
| 7.30pm, Saturday 12th March 2011 Miklós Spányi Miklós Spányi is one of the world’s most acknowledged C.P.E. Bach scholars and performers - for the Swedish label BIS he has been recording C.P.E. Bach’s Complete Keyboard Concertos as well as his Complete Solo Keyboard Music. This is a rare opportunity to hear him perform in the UK, giving a recital of German music for clavichord. |  |
Website: http://miklosspanyi.de
| 7.30pm, Saturday 23rd April 2011 Cembalo Doppio Carolyn Gibley & Robin Bigwood (harpsichords) Sparkling works from France and Germany for four hands at two harpsichords, performed by Carolyn Gibley (Brook Street Band) and Robin Bigwood (Passacaglia, Feinstein Ensemble). |  |