Brighton Early Music Festival 2025 brochure

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10 - 26 OCTOBER

PRE-FESTIVAL EVENTS FROM 20 SEPTEMBER

WELCOME

This year’s festival theme ‘Love’ encapsulates so much of the sentiment that radiates across the whole BREMF community. The theme was set by our late Artistic Director Deborah Roberts, and it has been such a privilege to programme the festival, bringing her ideas together with ours. We celebrate the different ways in which humans express love, as articulated by ancient Greek thinkers.

Our first weekend celebrates Xenia: showing love through honouring guests and by sharing what you have. In today’s world, this golden rule of hospitality is as important as ever. Nardus Williams and Elizabeth Kenny bring us songs from 17th-century refugees and we visit 16th- and 18th-century European courts with their extravagant entertainment, as well as domestic and devotional music with The Gesualdo Six and Ayres Extemporae.

Next we explore Agape: a love for nature and the divine. Join mezzo-soprano Joanna Harries and special guest musicians on a reflective SongPath walk, inviting us to appreciate the natural world around us. Meet our fabulous new Emerging Artists in the Showcase and Clubnight, and set sail on an immersive schools and community project inspired by Telemann’s Water Music.

Finally the romantic love, loss and desire of Eros takes centre stage, spanning the centuries from medieval trouvère songs performed by Per Sonat to the 19th-century words of Oscar Wilde with Vache Baroque. In a special concert supported by Deborah’s legacy, La Fonte Musica presents Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, Monteverdi’s heart-wrenching story of star-crossed lovers.

Join us as we sing, play and dance together, sharing a love of music in concerts, pub sessions, workshops and walks. Deborah wrote ‘Love is a word we throw around without thinking of its complexity, but we start with a love of music.’ She will be in all our hearts throughout this festival.

Hannah Ely and Olwen Foulkes Co-Artistic Directors

Funders and partners:

We are most grateful to all our supporters including Festival Friends and charitable trusts and foundations. Without your generosity, Brighton Early Music Festival could not continue to support the next generation of musicians, bring the best artists to Brighton or deliver vital work in the community. Thank you!

Brighton Early Music Festival gratefully acknowledges financial support from Arts Council National Lottery Project Grants and charitable trusts including Idlewild Trust, Garrick Charitable Trust and The Behrens Foundation, as well as funders who have confirmed support after this brochure went to print.

Technical support and lighting design for all Festival events provided by Natalie Rowland and Pitch Black.

Robert Piwko

PRE-FESTIVAL EVENTS

PHILIA: FRIENDSHIP & COMMUNITY

Our pre-festival period celebrates Philia, the Greek term for platonic love between friends and a love for shared interests. We invite you to sing, play, craft and dance together, sharing a love of music in multi-generational concerts, pub sessions and workshops.

Saturday 20 September

PALESTRINA CRAWL

BREMF Consort of Voices bring free, short performances of the music of Palestrina to a church near you.

11am St Paul’s Church West Street

12.15pm St Luke’s Church Queen’s Park

2.15pm St Cuthman’s Church Whitehawk

3.30pm St Margaret’s Church Rottingdean

See website for further details

EVENT 2

Thursday 2 October, 8pm The Rose Hill

EVENT 1

Saturday 27 September 11am-5pm, St George’s Church

CHORAL WORKSHOP

Led by Ben Vonberg-Clark Celebrate Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina in his 500th anniversary year by singing and exploring some of his stunning lesser-known choral music.

Registration: £20; for half price places see back cover

EARLY MUSIC OPEN MIC

Led by Emily Baines

Sharing songs and tunes with friends is something that always brings us together! Join us for a relaxed open mic and jam session led by Emily Baines. All are welcome whether you have a song or piece to share (alone or with a group), or are just there to sit back and listen.

Tickets: Entry by donation but please pre-book to help us manage capacity

Carla Watkins
Sisi Burn

Saturday 4 October, 10.30am & 12 noon, Brighton Unitarian Church

PUZZLE TOTS

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Puzzles are always tricky! How do all the pieces fit together? Join the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment as we solve this puzzle with music and dance.

Tickets: £8; under 12s free

EVENT 4

Saturday 4 October, 3-6pm Brighton Unitarian Church

LANTERN MAKING WORKSHOP

Same Sky workshop leaders

Come to a fun, family crafting workshop and make spectacular lanterns inspired by the sea and its creatures. Choose between taking your completed lantern home on the day, or seeing it on stage as part of our Baroque Odyssey event on 17 October.

Tickets: £8; under 12s free. Includes all materials. EVENT 3

EVENT 5

Sunday 5 October

10.30am-5.30pm, The Dance Space

INSTRUMENTAL WORKSHOP

Led by Sam Stadlen

Get into the mood for our French baroque festival opener with a workshop on stylistic ornaments, phrasing and dances.

A workshop on French baroque style for early instrumentalists at A=440Hz.

Tickets: £20; for half price places see back cover. Half day places available for those who would like to dance in the afternoon.

EVENT 6

Sunday 5 October

2.30pm-5.30pm, The Dance Space

BAROQUE DANCE WORKSHOP

Led by Olwen Foulkes

Explore the elegance and poise of baroque dance and get closer to the music of the French baroque ahead of our performance of Les Caractères de l’Amour on 10 October. No dance experience needed, but participants should be comfortable taking part in a physical workshop.

Tickets: £10; for half price places see back cover

Charlie Kirkpatrick

WEEKEND 1

XENIA: HOSTING & WELCOMING GUESTS

In Ancient Greece, Xenia was a sacred duty requiring hosts to treat newcomers to the best of everything - food, wine, entertainment and music. This weekend captures the drama and opulence of courtly entertainments from Tudor England to 18thcentury France, and showcases the music of refugees who made London their home.

EVENT 7

LES

Friday 10 October, 7.30pm, St Martin’s Church

CARACTÈRES

DE L’AMOUR

UK premiere of a 1736 French baroque opera by Mademoiselle Duval

BREMF Emerging Artists vocal soloists

Ensemble Molière

BREMF Players

Alison Bury leader

Baroque Collective Singers

John Hancorn conductor

Satoko Doi-Luck orchestrator

Mademoiselle Duval’s opera, Les Génies ou les Caractères de l’Amour, premiered at the Paris Opera in 1736 with Duval herself at the harpsichord. Although the opera captivated audiences, only some of her music survives. In this concert performance, her opera makes its UK premiere in a bespoke reconstruction by Satoko Doi-Luck as we bring you the excitement and splendour of Enlightenment Paris.

EVENT 8

Tickets: £25/£18; for half price tickets see back cover; under 12s free. Prom (standing) tickets £5.

Saturday 11 October, 1pm, St Nicholas Church

IN THE SHADOW OF THE TOWER

Nardus Williams soprano & Elizabeth Kenny lute

Our cultural life has long been enriched and shaped by musicians who chose the UK as their home. Showcasing music by 17th-century refugee composers including Lanier, alongside lute songs by Dowland and Purcell, this event launches our 2026 collaboration with One Song, working with musicians from Brighton’s settled refugee communities. The Sounds Like Home Choir will give a short pre-concert performance.

Tickets: £15; for half price tickets see back cover; under 12s free. Prom (restricted view) tickets £5.

Alamy
Camilla Greenwell

Saturday 11 October, 7.30pm St George’s Church

FINE COMPANION

Ayres Extemporae

For the ancient Greeks, hosting meant sharing your best wine and music with newcomers to foster a shared sense of belonging. Ayres Extemporae, winners of the York Young Artists Competition 2024, make their BREMF debut with tunes for domestic entertainment from Playford’s Dancing Master alongside music by Giovanni Carbonelli, an extraordinary Italian violinist who was official purveyor of wine to King George II. Downstairs seating will be arranged around tables

Tickets: £25/£18; for half price tickets see back cover; under 12s free. £25 seats downstairs around tables; £18 seats upstairs (except wheelchair spaces). Prom (restricted view) tickets £5.

Sunday 12 October, 7.30pm, St Martin’s Church

QUEEN OF HEARTS

The Gesualdo Six

At the heart of this programme lies a devotion to queens, both earthly and divine. The Gesualdo Six presents 16th-century polyphony which venerates the Virgin Mary, Regina Caelorum, while also memorialising queens of courtly life – Anne of Brittany, Margaret of Austria, Anne Boleyn and Mary Tudor. Blending sacred Latin texts with vernacular poetry, these works evoke a world where love, reverence and political allegiance were expressed through ritual and song.

Tickets: £25/£18; for half price tickets see back cover; under 12s free. Prom (standing) tickets £5.

Malou
van
den Heuvel
Andrew Wilkinson

WEEKEND 2

AGAPE: LOVE OF NATURE & THE DIVINE

Agape describes seeing the Divine in nature itself – no matter what one’s faith, many of us feel awe, wonder and the deepest love for our extraordinary universe. This weekend conveys a transcendent love through sacred music from England and Italy and events that honour the natural world and the power of the sea.

EVENT 11

Thursday 16 October, 7.30pm, St Paul’s Church

MUSIC DIVINE: GIBBONS 400

The Malcolm Rose Memorial Concert

BREMF Consort of Voices

James Elias director Cavillum Consort of Viols

6.15pm FREE pre-concert event featuring young musicians from BHASVIC

Commemorating 400 years since the death of Orlando Gibbons, this programme explores the spiritual depth and expressive beauty of his sacred music. Gibbons crafted verse anthems that combine the intimacy of solo voices with the rich textures of devotional polyphony.

EVENT 12

Friday 17 October, 6pm, St George’s Church

BAROQUE ODYSSEY

Ensemble Augelletti

Lowe Ensemble

Singers from Fieri Consort

Pupils from Brighton Primary Schools

BREMF Community Choir

Embark on a mini Odyssey in this immersive community performance. A young traveller encounters the beauty and power of the sea, meeting sea spirits, animals, gods and goddesses along the way. Based around Telemann’s Water Music, alongside music by JS Bach and contemporaries.

Tickets: £20; for half price tickets see back cover; under 12s free. Prom (restricted view) tickets £5.

Tickets: £20; for half price tickets see back cover; under 12s free. Prom (standing) tickets £5.

Saturday 18 October, 11am–1pm

Stanmer Park (meet outside Stanmer House from 10.45am)

SONGPATH WALK

Joanna Harries mezzo-soprano and special guests

Join singer and SongPath co-founder Joanna Harries and special guests for a unique blend of nature, music and wellbeing in the beautiful surroundings of Stanmer Park. We will explore what is underfoot and overhead in an uplifting and interactive morning of song.

See website for route plan & accessibility details.

Tickets: £10; under 12s free

Saturday 18 October, 3.30pm

St Paul’s Church

BREMF EMERGING ARTISTS SHOWCASE

Chantefable

Londinium Consort

The Lyons Mouth

The Royal Sackbut Collective

Your opportunity to hear the newest cohort of ensembles selected for the 2025 BREMF Emerging Artists scheme. Each ensemble presents a 20-minute performance, showcasing a programme which explores connections between music and nature.

Tickets: £20; for half price tickets see back cover; under 12s free. Prom (standing) tickets £5.

Interval with tea and BREMF’s trademark home-made cakes

EVENT 15

Saturday 18 October, 9pm

The Rose Hill

BREMF CLUBNIGHT

Join the BREMF Emerging Artists ensembles for an evening of relaxed, intimate performances in a welcoming pub atmosphere.

Tickets: £8. Standing event (very limited seating)

Robert
Piwko

Sunday 19 October, 7.30pm

St Martin’s Church

RICORDANZE: A RECORD OF LOVE

Musica Secreta and Celestial Sirens

Laurie Stras director

Claire Williams ensemble director

An exploration of music from the Biffoli-Sostegni manuscript – the only surviving manuscript of polyphony from a 16th-century convent. The programme weaves this stunning music together with stories from the convent’s history: from the 1530 Siege of Florence to the last letters from Suor Maria Celeste to her father Galileo Galilei.

Tickets: £25/£18; for half price tickets see back cover; under 12s free. Prom (standing) tickets £5.

MUSIC

MS27766,

WEEKEND 3

EROS: ROMANTIC LOVE, DESIRE & LOSS

Romantic love forms the heart of our final weekend and celebrates the spark of attraction between individuals, whether that becomes lifelong companionship or begins the bittersweet torment of longing for a lover; parted by distance, religious conflict or society’s expectations.

Friday 24 October, 7.30pm

St Martin’s Church

OUT OF THE DEEP

Vache Baroque

Taking inspiration from the De Profundis letter written by Oscar Wilde during his imprisonment for ‘gross indecency’, this programme explores themes of love, isolation and redemption in an absorbing journey of words and music. Poetry and prose from the 17th century to the modern day mix with solo songs by Purcell and two deeply searching De profundis psalm settings by Bach and Zelenka.

Tickets: £25/£18; for half price tickets see back cover; under 12s free. Prom (standing) tickets £5.

Saturday 25 October 1pm, St Nicholas Church

CONTRE LA DOUCE SAISON

Per Sonat

Travel back to 13th-century northern France with Per Sonat uncovering the refined, expressive world of the trouvères, poet-composers who sang of courtly love. Influenced by the Occitan troubadours of the south, the trouvères developed their own tradition, rich in poetic subtlety and melodic grace, through which they tell tales of longing, devotion and unattainable love.

Tickets: £15; for half price tickets see back cover; under 12s free. Prom (restricted view) tickets £5.

Johan Beckers
The Photography Shed
EVENT 17
EVENT 18

Saturday 25 October, 7.30pm, St Martin’s Church

LA SERA DEL COMBATTIMENTO

La Fonte Musica | Michele Pasotti director

Monteverdi’s Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda dramatises a heartwrenching narrative of romantic love forged amidst religious conflict. This concert has been made possible by a legacy from BREMF’s late artistic director Deborah Roberts, who was passionate about the music of Monteverdi and building links between Brighton audiences and European performers.

Tickets: £25/£18; for half price tickets see back cover; under 12s free. Prom (standing) tickets £5.

Sunday 26 October, 7.30pm, St George’s Church

ON THE WINGS OF A SONG

Helen Charlston mezzo-soprano

Consone Quartet

Join us in an intimate evening of song, featuring Robert Schumann’s beguiling Frauenliebe und -leben alongside enchanting music infused with the imagery of nature by Clara Schumann and Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn. With new arrangements for string quartet and voice, this programme captures the emotional directness of chamber music, evoking everyday love, life and longing.

Tickets: £25/£18; for half price tickets see back cover; under 12s free. Prom (restricted view) tickets £5.

Julien Gazeau

Friends booking from Wednesday 23 July

Public booking from Monday 4 August

TICKETS

Seats are not numbered and are unreserved within price bands, but for most events we provide a seat reservation service for BREMF Friends at Silver level and above. Find out more at bremf.org.uk/festival-friends

Tickets will be sold online at bremf.org.uk (£1 transaction fee) or by post (£2 transaction fee). Postal booking form available to download or call 01273 833746. Half price concession tickets are available for young people (aged 12-29 inclusive), full-time students, and those in receipt of Universal Credit or Pension Credit (but not state pension alone). Free tickets are available for children under 12 and carers. For queries about access issues please contact jenny@bremf.org.uk

Season Ticket Discount: Bookings for 6 or more main festival concerts (Events 7-20 excluding Events 13 & 15) in one transaction will receive a 10% discount.

£5 Prom tickets will be available on the door and online from 1 October. This admits you to a standing place or restricted view seat depending on the venue.

Workshops: pre-registration is essential for Events 1, 5 & 6. Deadlines are given on the website but in all cases booking may be closed earlier if all places have been allocated. There is no closing date for Event 4.

We regret that tickets can only be refunded if the event is cancelled or in exceptional circumstances. Full T&C may be found at bremf.org.uk/terms-and-conditions

VENUES

St Martin’s Church, Brighton BN2 3HQ

St George’s Church, Brighton BN2 1ED

St Paul’s Church, Brighton BN1 2RE

St Nicholas Church, Brighton BN1 3LJ

Brighton Unitarian Church, Brighton BN1 1UF

The Rose Hill, Brighton BN1 4JL

The Dance Space, Circus Street, Brighton BN2 9AS

Stanmer Park, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QA

Please see bremf.org.uk for full details of how to find each venue, including public transport and parking information.

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