March 2013

in association with

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Welcome

S t George’s Bristol is proud to be launching, in association with BBC Radio 3, the first Bristol Baroque Festival. It unwraps an abundance

of great music and artistry that flourished during the baroque era, bringing it into the light of the modern day in a way that underscores its zest and glorious originality. The musical genius of JS Bach is a particular focus this year, with two of his greatest devotional works book-ending the festival, but there are plenty of other programmes to grab attention, from a dramatic Handel and the Rival Queens offering from the Early Opera Company to an exploration of Spain’s Golden Age with The Harp Consort — and even a children’s concert that journeys from Rome to the rain forests of South America in the company of a magic pearl necklace.

BBC Radio 3 has been at our side from the very start of our ventures into this era of music-making, and it’s a particular pleasure that they will be broadcasting Radio 3 Live in Concert from St George’s from Monday 25 to Friday 29 March as well as creating a number of interviews and spoken word events to illuminate the baroque, as part of a wider BBC Radio 3 Baroque Spring. Radio 3 presenter Tom Service will be introducing all the live broadcast concerts and helping to send the St George’s sound out around the country — so all that remains is for you to take your seat and ensure you’re on board for this celebratory festival!

Suzanne Rolt, Director

BBC Radio 3’s A Taste for Baroque’

BBC Radio 3 presents a series of specially commissioned pre-concert talks from writers and scholars exploring the manifold legacy of baroque

style — in rock ‘n’ roll, in building design, in the convoluted jokes of a master of long sentences and elsewhere. Discover how the baroque — the Spanish, Portuguese and French word for an imperfect pearl — can be found thriving in the most unexpected places and lives on even in epochs defined by austerity and simplicity. Each talk is produced by Tim Dee and recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

Radio 3 broadcaster Tom Service will introduce these fascinating live essays which will be recorded for later transmission. Come and take part in these unique events and put your questions to our speakers.

Running time: 30 minutes/no interval. Each talk will be broadcast later that evening at 10.45pm. Tickets available on the door from 5.15pm for each event.

FRee AdmiSSion

Monday 25th March 6pmAlexandra Harris, teacher at the University of Liverpool, author of Romantic Moderns and a Radio 3 New Generation Thinker, on the legacy of baroque style in Twentieth Century English design.

Tuesday 26th March 6pmPaul Farley, poet and professor of creative writing at the University of Lancaster on baroque ‘n’ roll : ornamentation at the root of all delight.

Wednesday 27th March 6pmed Hollis, former architect and teacher at the University of Glasgow, on Twentieth Century architecture’s battle with the baroque.

Thursday 28th March 6pmChloe Aridjis, Mexican novelist, on the survival of home-grown baroque style in Mexico.

Friday 29th March 6pmWriter Tessa Hadley on Henry James’s long and sinuous sentences and his jokes. Is there such a thing as baroque prose?

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FRidAY 8 mARCH − 7.30Pm

La Nuova MusicaSt John PassionJ S Bach – St John Passion

La Nuova Musica made its St George’s debut with a breathtaking performance of Handel’s Messiah that brought the audience to its feet and proved beyond doubt that this is one of the most essential ensembles of our time. We’re delighted to welcome its return for what will surely be an unforgettable presentation of Bach’s devotional baroque masterpiece, the St John Passion, creating a suitably heightened and emotionally charged opening to this landmark Bristol Baroque Festival.

Sung in German.

£24(£22); £21(£19); £19(£17); £13(£11)

lanuovamusica.co.ukPromoted by St George’s Bristol

Strange Conceits: Poems foran Imperfect PearlPoetry exhibition in our Cafe/Bar

Look to the walls of the cafe/bar in March and indulge yourself in a poetry exhibition of delightfully sparkling dark poems, all written in a contemporary baroque style by some of the most engagingly inventive poets from Bristol, the South West and beyond. Be prepared to be thoroughly and happily boggled in paradox, to be driven all the way around a thousand and one bends of surprising twists and turns of phrase. Be assured that all metaphorswill be both suitably and unsuitably extendedand idiosyncratically explored.

Presented by Poetry Can and St. George's Bristol. Check daily opening times with our Box Offi ce.

Baroque Exploratoriummonday 25th march 12 midday

The Baroque is a rich tapestry of particular ideas, sounds and visions ... but what is it really all about? Why do Baroque musicians play at a different pitch? Were gut strings really made from the intestines of cattle? Your burning Baroque questions are answered in this special live interactive exploration led by BBC Radio 3 presenter Tom Service and players fromthe Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

Approximate running time 50 minutes. Places are limited so advanced booking recommended.

TiCKeTS £5

Behind the Scenes with BBC Radio 3Tuesday 26 march 11.45am& Thursday 28 march 11.45am

Are you curious about just what happens when the BBC arrive to record a live event? This is your chance to talk to the studio team who are at the heart of broadcast events. Find out about microphone set-ups, recording equipment and just what it takes to keep everything on trackat a live event!

FRee AdmiSSion

Approximate running time 45 minutes.

Behind the Scenes of Baroque Spring with BBC Radio 3Wednesday 27th march 5.15pm

Jessica isaacs, Editor of Essential Classics, In Tune and Private Passions for BBC Radio 3, and presenter Tom Service talk about their work and the station’s own Baroque Spring series which runs throughout March. Put your questions to them and learn more about the station and the festival.

FRee AdmiSSion

Approximate running time 30 minutes.

Places for all talks are very limited so advanced booking recommended.

Enrich your experience at St George’s

As well as an explosion of Baroque music on the main stage, there are many other ways of engaging with our Baroque festival — and most of them are free. Come along during the daytime to fi nd out

more about not just the music but the BBC Radio 3 team involved in this festival.

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SATURdAY 16 mARCH − 7.30Pm

Bristol Bach Choir/Canzona Mass in B MinorJ S Bach – Mass in B Minor

Christopher Finch music directorAlexandra Kidgell sopranomatthew Venner countertenoredmund Hastings tenorFrederick Long bass

The B Minor Mass is undoubtedly Bach’smost spectacular choral work and one ofthe crowning glories of Western culture. Through its staggering musical and textual range, it resonates with every human emotion, speaking of joy, pain and sacrifi ce in equal measure. Bristol Bach Choir is augmented by the acclaimed period orchestra, Canzona,and a fabulous collection of soloists for this Bristol Baroque Festival concert.

£26; £21; £16; £11£6 (Students; Under-18s – subjectto availability)

bristolbach.org.uk

FRidAY 15 mARCH − 7.30Pm

The Imperfect Pearl A Baroque Musical Fairytalemark Latimer pianoWilliam Towers actor/countertenormiles Golding violinJulia Barker violinSophie Gledhill cello

A musical drama of fun, vespers (and vespas!) drives this Baroque fairytale telling the story of seventeenth century Italian composer Domenico Zipoli’s journey from Rome to the rainforest of South America (complete with magic pearl necklace), to teach music to the indigenous inhabitants. Musician Mark Latimer and director Emma Rivlin combine the beautiful sounds of Baroque music with Brothers Grimm-style fairytale fantasy in a wildly imaginative clash of cultures, music and theatre.

£15; £12; £5 Under-18s; Family Ticket available

‘It is Mark Latimer’s sheer range and depth of imagination that immediately impresses’ The Times

perolabarroca.com / marklatimer.comPromoted by St George’s Bristol in collaboration with Whitehouse Productions. Supported by Arts Council England.

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SATURdAY 23 mARCH − 7.30Pm

Exultate Singers/ His Majesty's Sagbutts & CornettsSplendours of Veniceexultate SingersHis majestys Sagbutts and Cornettsdavid ogden conductor

monteverdi Magnifi cat Primo a 8 Gabrieli Jubilate Deo a 8 Gabrieli Plaudite a 12 (tutti)Gabrieli Omnes gentesGiovanni Croce Mass for Four Choirs a 16Giovanni Rigatti Dixit Dominus

Bristol’s accomplished chamber choir Exultate Singers is joined by one of the world’s leading period instrument ensembles for this concert of baroque music originally written for St Mark’s Venice. Experience the grandeur, opulence and drama of the wonderful multi-choir motets of Gabrieli, Monteverdi, Croce and Rigatti as the sound reverberates around the hall and balconies of St George's.All the pieces are characterised by fl amboyant operatic solos and virtuosic instrumental and choral writing, perfect for this Bristol Baroque Festival.

£21(£19); £18(£16); £15(£13); £11(£9)

exultatesingers.orgPromoted by St George’s Bristol

THURS 21 mARCH / WedS 27 mARCH − 1Pm

Lunchtime Concerts Richard TunnicliΩe cello Bach Cello Suites I & II

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Thursday 21 March J S BachSuite No 1 in G BWV 1007Suite No 4 in E fl at BWV 1010

Wednesday 27 March J S BachSuite No 5 in C minor BWV 1011Suite No 6 in D major (for 5 string cello piccolo) BWV 1012

Bach’s Cello Suites are arguably the greatest pieces ever written for the instrument, and the gold standard against which other cello works are judged. Revered by performers and listeners alike, they take the form of a sequence ofdances through which Bach channelled his unbridled creativityand energy. The music roams from simplicity to sublimity, offering up exquisite melodies and a myriad of texturesand colours. Richard Tunnicliffe, who performs regularlywith the Avison Ensemble, OAE, Fretwork andBoston Symphony, brings refi ned intonationand panache to this astonishing music.

Richard will perform a fi nal set of Bach Cello Suiteson Friday 7 June at 9pm, on sale in March.

£8; Free Under-25s, Students & Jobseekers

Promoted by St George’s Bristol

TUeSdAY 26 mARCH − 7.30Pm

Radio 3 Live in Concert Early Opera Company — Handel and the Rival QueensChristian Curnyn conductor and harpsichordeleanor dennis & mhairi Lawson sopranosChristopher Benjamin actor

Two feisty modern-day sopranos, aided by one of the rising-star conductors in the Baroque opera world, take on the roles of the great rival divas of Handel's London operas of the 1720s, Francesca Cuzzoni and Faustina Bordoni. So notorious was their competition that a play was written about them, and even Handel's best attempts to provide them with precisely equal parts could not prevent their animosity boiling over into a fi ght on stage! The programme includes overtures, arias and duets from Handel's Ottone, Flavio, Alessandro, Admeto, Riccardo Primo and Siroe, Hasse's Cleofi de, Porpora's Polifemo and Gay's The Beggar's Opera, as well as lively readings from contemporary letters, newspapers and other literary sources.

Introduced by Tom Service and broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.

£26(£24); £21(£19); £16(£14); £11(£9)

earlyoperacompany.comPromoted by St George’s Bristol

Don’t miss our seriesof fascinating talks,see Page 3 for details.

Ricardo A

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hristina Raphaelle

mondAY 25 mARCH − 7.30Pm

Radio 3 Live in Concert Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment J S BachBrandenburg Concerto No 4 in GCantata No 161 Komm, du süße TodesstundeBrandenburg Concerto No 5 in DCantata No 9 Es ist das Heil uns kommen her

John Butt director/harpsichordSoloists of the orchestra of the Age of enlightenment and Choir of the enlightenment

The fi rst of fi ve consecutive nights of dazzling Baroque to be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 sees the OAE under the direction of renowned Bach expert and harpsichordist John Butt. Together they present the timeless wonders of two of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, alongside a pair of oft-overlooked cantatas that feature a wealth of masterly detail.

Sir Nicholas Kenyon joins John Butt and Tom Service on stage for a live interval talk.

Introduced by Tom Service and broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.

£26(£24); £21(£19); £16(£14); £11(£9)

oae.co.ukPromoted by St George’s BristolSupported by Orchestras Live

Don’t miss the‘Baroque Exploratorium’ at midday, see page 4for details.

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WedneSdAY 27 mARCH − 7.30Pm

Radio 3 Live in Concert Mahan Esfahani playsBach's Goldberg VariationsJ S Bach The Goldberg Variations

mahan esfahani harpsichord

One of the most exciting young musicians to emerge from the BBC’s ‘New Generation Artist’ scheme, Iranian-born harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani has already established a formidable international reputation for the depth and sensitivity of his playing. An appearance at the 2012 BBC Proms confi rmed Esfahani’s extravagant promiseand we’re thrilled that he is part of our Bristol Baroque Festival to talk aboutand perform Bach’s relentlessly intricate Goldberg Variations, a true landmark of Baroque keyboard music.

‘The harpsichord comes out of hiding ... magnifi cent.’ The Daily Telegraph

Introduced by Tom Service and broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.

£21(£19); £18(£16); £15(£13); £11(£9)

mahanesfahani.comPromoted by St George’s Bristol

THURSdAY 28 mARCH − 7.30Pm

Radio 3 Live in ConcertThe Harp Consort—El Arte de FantasiaAndrew Lawrence King director

Experience the Spanish golden age in all its cosmopolitan variety and stylistic diversity. From popular dances and Spanish villancicos to French chansons and high-art fantasías or tientos, this is an explorer’s guide to Hispanic baroque music. The Harp Consort is an ensemble that excels at improvisation within the distinct styles of baroque, renaissance and medieval music, bringing together diverse solo instruments – harp, lutes, keyboards, strings – and voices, to create colourful new combinations in the fashion of the day.

‘Uniquely expressive and seductive.’ Gramophone

Introduced by Tom Service and broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.

£21(£19); £18(£16); £15(£13); £11(£9)

theharpconsort.comPromoted by St George’s Bristol

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FRidAY 29 mARCH − 7.30Pm

Radio 3 Live in Concert BBC Singers — St Mark PassionJ S BachGottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit BWV 106Jesu meine Freude BWV 227St Mark Passion

BBC SingersSt James Baroque orchestra

The fi nal word of our Bristol Baroque Festival must go to Bach, whose St John Passion began this celebration earlier in the month. For this fi nale we turn to music from another of his great devotional works, the incomplete St Mark Passion. Breathing life into the surviving elements of this piece is the BBC Singers, hailed as one of the greatest choirs in the world. Expect a vivid and dynamic performance in what is a fi tting denouement to the festival and the culmination of a week of thrilling live broadcasts from St George’s.

Introduced by Tom Service and broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.

£21(£19); £18(£16); £15(£13); £11(£9)

bbc.co.uk/orchestras/singersPromoted by St George’s Bristol

Booking InformationPaying by cardAll major credit cards (except American Express), Maestro, and Delta cards are accepted. There is a £1 charge for each transaction where the total spend is over £15.

OnlineBook online 24 hours a day at stgeorgesbristol.co.uk. Booking fee: £2.50 for each transaction (irrespective of the number of tickets being booked).

ChildrenChildren are welcome at all Bristol Baroque Festival events, but parents are asked to remember that concerts broadcast by the BBC may not be suitable for very young children. Babes in arms and young toddlers cannot be admitted to the auditorium for ticketed events unless otherwise stated. All children must be issued with a ticket.

Facilities for disabled patronsSt George’s welcomes concert-goers with additional needs, the venue is fully accessible from Charlotte Street. Please mention your particular needs to the Box Offi ce when you book and all assistance will be given. Limited parking is available for Blue Badge holders, but must be reserved in advance. Toilet facilities are located in the bar and accessed by lift.

Sound reinforcementSt George’s Bristol is equipped with a T-loop hearing system.

How to fi nd usBy BusPark Street is served by frequent bus services (1,8,9,40,41,54,U5,U6). Visit fi rstgroup.com for details of the best bus for your journey. The nearest stops B are located on Queens Road and College Green, while Bristol Bus Station is served by regional and national services and is a fi fteen minute walk or short taxi ride away.

By TrainThe nearest mainline railway station is Bristol Temple Meads, a twenty-fi ve minute walk from St George’s or a short taxi ride. Bus services 8 and 9 serve the station regularly.

By RoadSt George’s Bristol is located just off Park Street in the West End of Bristol. On-street parking is metered, with the nearest car parks located on Trenchard Street, Berkeley Place, College Street, Frog Lane and Millennium Square. Visit bristol.gov.uk/carparks or ncp.co.uk for details.

By BikeBike racks can be found at the Great George Street entrance, so why not cycle to St George’s!

The information given in this brochure was correct at the time of going to press. Programme subject to change.

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MarchFri 8 7.30pm Concert La Nuova Musica — St John Passion

Fri 15 7.30pm Concert The Imperfect Pearl — A Baroque Music Fairytale

Sat 16 7.30pm Concert Bristol Bach Choir — B Minor Mass

Thu 21 1pm Concert Bach Cello Suites I

Sat 23 7.30pm Concert Splendours of Venice

Mon 25 12pm Talk Baroque Exploratorium 6pm Talk Alexandra Harris 7.30pm Concert Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Tues 26 11.45am Talk Behind the Scenes with BBC Radio 3 6pm Talk Paul Farley 7.30pm Concert Early Opera Company — Rival Queens

Wed 27 1pm Concert Bach Cello Suites II 5.15pm Talk Behind the Scenes of Baroque Spring with BBC Radio 3 6pm Talk Ed Hollis 7.30pm Concert Mahan Esfahani — Goldberg Variations

Thu 28 11.45am Talk Behind the Scenes with BBC Radio 3 6pm Talk Chloe Aridjis 7.30pm Concert The Harp Consort

Friday 29 6pm Talk Tessa Hadley 7.30pm Concert BBC Singers — St Mark Passion

The Bristol Baroque Festival at a glanceThese events form part of a wider BBC Radio 3 season,Baroque Spring, a season of live music, drama and comedy dedicated to shedding new light on the baroque era. For further information please visit bbc.co.uk/radio3

Book NowOnline (24 hours)stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

By Phone0845 40 24 001

In PersonSt George’s Bristol Box Offi ce, Great George Street Bristol BS1 5RR

Box Offi ceOpen 12 noon-6pm. Monday-Saturday and from ninety minutes prior to any event start time.