The English Concert

Under the direction of Harry Bicket, The English Concert are considered to be one of the finest baroque ensembles in the world. We are thrilled to welcome this influential ensemble to the Brewhouse, with a programme that features the Principal strings of The English Concert, including viola Principal Alfonso Leal del Ojo in a performance of Telemann’s viola concerto.

In an age of instant information and communication it is all too easy to imagine that the musical centres of Europe in the 17th and 18th Centuries were isolated pockets of creativity. Yet entirely the opposite was true. Purcell knew very well that his quintessentially English style incorporated significant aspects from French music, where the now restored Charles II had been in exile. Bach and Telemann, meanwhile, sought to infuse aspects of Italian and French styles together with a German attention to harmony and counterpoint.

Elsewhere, the music of Corelli and Vivaldi was lapped up by the bustling printing houses of Amsterdam while the amateur musicians of England happily devoured pirate copies to keep up to date. Whilst adopted by the English and turning his attention to the new form of English-language oratorio, Handel’s music similarly betrays his upbringing in Germany and early success in Italy.

But from this fusion of ideas and cross-breeding of styles comes the greatest music Europe had ever heard. The spark to create something new that sets these musical giants apart as Baroque Masters.