Archive
Our 2023 Festival
SNEMF 23 presented music from Medieval Europe to Spanish America: dances, lullabies, arias and unaccompanied Bach suites, with concerts in the historic Old Church, the atmospheric West Reservoir Centre, and the famous Newington Green Meeting House.
Our 2023 programme:
Cubaroque
held at the West Reservoir Centre, Green Lanes [venue details]
to a sold-out audience.
A rare combination of music from two golden ages. In 17th-century Europe, composers explored the extremes of human life through their music: love, sorrow, ecstasy and faith thrillingly painted in sweet harmony and stinging dissonance. In the Latin America of the 20th century, songwriters gave voice to a continent emerging from years of suppression into the blinding light. Our three compelling performers blended lyrical magic, cultural resonance and exquisitely poetic imagery.
The programme included music by Monteverdi, Purcell, de Visée, Mercedes Sosa, Silvio Rodríguez and Víctor Jara.
Nicholas Mulroy and Toby Carr perform Víctor Jara's Te Recuerdo Amanda (YouTube)
Nicholas Mulroy and Toby Carr perform Henry Purcell's An Evening Hymn (YouTube)
The Performers
Passion and Passacaglia
held at the Old Church, Stoke Newington [venue details]
An exhilarating evening of music by some of the most entertaining and flamboyant composers of the 17th century. The programme explored the way the violin and lute family were emerging at this time as highly virtuosic and colourful solo instruments. Some composers' names were familiar but others less so. Julia and Paula were delighted to introduce these lesser-known but highly regarded mavericks of the day.
Programme included works by Castello, Marini and Corelli, as well as solo pieces for theorbo by Piccinini and Kapsberger and Biber's violin sonata no. 5 in E minor.
The Performers
Elizabethan Lullabies
held at the Old Church, Stoke Newington [venue details]
Feargal Mostyn-Williams with lutenist Jonatan Bougt performed Lullabies of the Elizabethan age in a relaxed setting for babies, pre-school children, their parents, grandparents, and carers. Programme included William Byrd Lulla Lullaby, the Eriskay Love Lilt and Robert Johnson's Full Fathom Five.
An Early Music for Early Years event.
The Performers
Bach - Great and Small
held at the Newington Green Meeting House [venue details]
Kinga Gáborjáni (violoncello piccolo) with Ciara Hendrick (mezzo soprano), Georgia Browne (flute) and Tom Foster (keyboard) performed music featuring the violoncello piccolo, including Bach's sixth cello suite. Programme also included his Partita in A minor for solo flute and arias from cantatas 36b, 115 and 18.
The Performers
Bach - Great and Small Online
presented on the Festival's YouTube Channel [private channel]
For those unable to attend Bach - Great and Small in person, the concert was also available as an Online Event. The filmed performance was available on demand until 27 August 2023.
If you would like to know more about our online events, please contact us.