The Bristol Ensemble

Simon Kodurand director / violin
Hugh Blogg violin
Amelia Grenfell violin
Carl Hill viola
Jane Fenton cello
Jub Davis double bass
Julian Perkins harpsichord
Roger Armstrong flute
Imogen Triner recorder
Kim Keeble recorder

JS Bach Brandenburg Concerto No 5 in D BWV 1050
John Rutter Suite Antique
JS Bach Brandenburg Concerto No 4 in G BWV 1049

In Bach’s music we find solace, hope and all of humanity, so it’s no surprise that people have turned to it for comfort and consolation over the past few months. In these one-hour concerts, Bristol Ensemble will fill St George’s once again with performances of two bright and uplifting Brandenburg Concertos.

The Fourth Concerto interweaves two sprightly recorders with solo violin, performed in these concerts by Hugh Blogg, against a backdrop of strings. The joyful Allegro is followed by a contemplative Andante, and the finale is a sprightly fugal movement with plenty of opportunity for the soloists to show off their virtuosity.

John Rutter’s Suite Antique is a companion piece to the Brandenburg Concerto No 5, scored in six movements for the same forces. It explores a variety of Baroque and Classical styles from a Bach-like Aria to a ‘Richard Rodgers-style Waltz’.

Bach’s innovative Fifth Brandenburg Concerto features virtuosic harpsichord playing, designed by the composer to show off his own tremendous skill at the keyboard. Solo flautist Roger Armstrong and violinist Simon Kodurand join the harpsichordist Julian Perkins to make up a lead trio in this joyous work, full of driving rhythmic passages and ingenious counterpoint. Music from the age of opulence – the perfect antidote to the present day!