December is probably the height of the concert season for most of us. How many do you have coming up in the next few weeks? It’s great to have so many performance opportunities what with all the Christmas carols and end of term school concerts. Carols really do get in the festive mood and I never tire of them. We’ve put quite a few up on our website for people to play – but I’ve just realised we forgot to acknowledge that Jerry Randalls arranged God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Sheila Cochrane arranged Jingle Flutes. Sorry folks! We’ll put it right as soon as we can.
Last Sunday I went to a Chamber Music of the Baroque Era concert at St Wulfran’s Church in Ovingdean. It was given by by good friend Robert Goodman (baroque flute) and Massimo Redaelli (harpsichord and bass viol). It was a lovely programme, I do love Baroque music. some of it was very well known to me – Quantz, JS Bach and Telemann along with my favourite Blavet sonata, La Lumagne, but one piece I’d never heard before. It was by Georg Friederich Telemann and it was Concerto 1 from Six Concerts et Suites. It was really delightful, great fun for the flute player and loads to do for the harpsichordist. It’s unpublished, but it really should be published, I’m sure many of us would love to play it.
Sitting listening to this music I had quite a revelation. We consider Baroque music to be pretty old in the scheme of things. Sitting there in the beautiful 11th century church (which is the oldest building in Brighton even with its new 14th century addition!) I realised how YOUNG the music was! Everything is relative.
I’d love to hear about your Christmas performances.