Friends of Florilegium President ~ Dame Emma Kirkby OBE Honorary Vice Presidents ~ David Hill and Sir David Lumsden

RECORDING NEWS Florilegium celebrates its 20th anniversary

The last Newsletter contained just the one Florilegium will be celebrating their 20th group as well as Rachel review which had been published by that anniversary in their ‘spiritual home’, Podger who will be guest time of the latest CD. In addition to that Wigmore Hall. The first concert will be on Director for both concerts. BBC Music Magazine CD Choice review, 31 March, in a concert of works by Vivaldi They will play alongside Gramophone has now rated the disc as and Telemann with soprano Elin Manahan the fourth Co-Founder Thomas singing two Motets by Vivaldi, and Recommended. Here is that and and current Director, bassoonist Jane Gower joining Ashley Ashley Solomon. Tickets additional reviews of the Pergolesi disc, on Solomon in Telemann’s for are on sale, again via the which Florilegium were joined by soprano Recorder and Bassoon. Tickets are now Hall’s or the Florilegium Rachel Podger Elin Manahan Thomas and countertenor available from Wigmore Hall box office: website, as above. Robin Blaze. 020 7935 2141 or online booking www.wigmore-hall.org.uk or via the After the concert on Sunday 3 July there Florilegium website www.florilegium.org.uk The [Stabat Mater] opening is superb; the will be a Reception for Friends of Virgin Mary, weeping by the cross, is Florilegium, in Wigmore Hall, hosted by represented by painful suspensions over a The highlight of the anniversary Ashley Solomon with members of the walking bass. Elin Manahan Thomas, Robin celebrations will be a weekend of concerts ensemble. If you would like to join in this Blaze and Florilegium phrase it beautifully, on Saturday 2 July and Sunday 3 July. The celebration and are not a Friend, you can bringing just the right amount of weight to concerts will comprise the complete Bach join the Friends of Florilegium and, if you tension and release. Excellent Brandenburg Concerti and Orchestral pay the annual subscription of £30 performances all round. Suites, with arias sung by guest artists Julian minimum now, that will be valid until Podger (tenor) on Saturday and Dame Gramphone (Recommended), October 2012. Please write to Florilegium Emma Kirkby (soprano) on Sunday. September 2010 (address shown in the box on this page) or Amongst the ensemble email [email protected] and you will be the four original Both pieces [ and Salve will be sent an application form. members of Florilegium. Regina] get superb performances here Neal Peres da Costa from top-notch singers and a small Friends will receive an invitation to the (harpsichord) and Daniel instrumental ensemble, playing in a reception shortly, and the group look Yeadon (cello/viola da “historically informed” manner, but with forward to welcoming you to this special gamba) are coming warmth and emotional depth. event. from Australia to join the The Absolute Sound, September 2010 Dame Emma Kirkby

Florilegium’s one-instrument-per-part ensemble captures a perfect counterpart in suggesting the intimacy of a chapel performance rather than a concert Farewell James, Please support Florilegium; display. With all the recorded competition welcome Terence! become a Friend! in this music, especially the Stabat Mater, it is pointless to compare them. Suffice to say The Wigmore Hall weekend in July will be Florilegium is acclaimed worldwide for its that this newest presentation can the final concerts by Florilegium principal performances and recordings. However the confidently be placed among the top keyboard player, James Johnstone. group receives no public funding; its finite recommendations. resources comprise ticket revenue and the James joined the group in 2001 and has American Record Guide, committed generosity of its loyal supporters. made an invaluable contribution to the November/December 2010 group. Florilegium thank James for We are very grateful to our Friends and hope you everything he has done over the past ten will consider joining them. From £30 per annum – The singing and playing are superb. This roughly the cost of a concert ticket – you could years, and wish him well in the future. disc ranks with the best versions available. become a Friend of Florilegium. Fanfare, November/December 2010 Florilegium prides itself on a close relationship with its audiences, expressed through Friends of Florilegium. Friends’ benefits and privileges include: FREE CD! • A free copy of Florilegium’s limited Florilegium edition compilation CD Director ~ Ashley Solomon • A regular Newsletter 21 Village Road • Priority booking for certain concerts promoted London N3 1TL by Florilegium Tel : +44 (0) 20 8346 2896 • Complimentary or discounted CDs as they are Email : [email protected] James Johnstone at the 18th century organ in Santa Ana released Bolivia, during the recording of Bolivian Baroque Vol.3 • Social events providing opportunities to meet Website : www.florilegium.org.uk the members of Florilegium

Friends of Florilegium supports His place will be taken by Terence Director’s Circle members The Florilegium Trust Charlston, who has already performed in a • receive up to 3 free CDs a year Registered charity 1060443 number of Florilegium concerts when • are acknowledged in Florilegium’s concert James has been unavailable. Terence will programmes • are invited to attend rehearsals introduce himself in a ‘Player Profile’ article SPRING 2011 in a forthcoming Newsletter. Please see left hand column for contact details. UK DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Winter woes

24 Mar Royal College of Music, London The final three concerts of 2010 will stay in for the first time this winter. York was under 18th century coaching session Ashley’s memory for a long time; all for the about a foot of snow and most of the trains wrong reason! The first was in Lewes. Even were cancelled. This included the one on 31 Mar Wigmore Hall, London before reaching the venue there were which players had seats reserved. A few Vivaldi and Telemann problems. Ashley’s home is less than 60 trains were running and with some helpful miles from Lewes; yet his drive took 4½ information from her undergraduate son at 1 Apr Royal Northern College of Music, hours. Bojan, who lives in Oxford, was university in Scotland, Emma Kirkby Manchester caught up behind a lorry fire on the M40 ascertained where the unreserved seats Vivaldi, Telemann and Handel and only managed to get to a (3.00pm) would be found. She and Ashley dashed to rehearsal at 5.00; Ashley arrived at 5.30! the correct carriage and, luckily, managed 10 Apr Royal Festival Hall, London to claim seats. From Peterborough the train The Bach Choir The rehearsal was swift, but luckily the was full, with many people knowing they Bach: St Matthew Passion programme was well known to the players. would stand until Edinburgh! The concert The hall was warm and, at 6.30, everything however was performed to a packed 14 Apr Peak District (Edensor) was back on course. Unknown to the concert hall, so the problems of travel there Symphonies for Six (Haydn) group the heating (which Ashley had – and back – were minimised. specifically said should be left exactly as it 1 May Oxford May Music Festival was) was switched off. As the audience One week later the venue was Winchester Les Nations arrived they complained the hall was cold for a performance of Messiah. The snow and the heating was put on, maximum. had gone, travel was smooth for everyone 6 May Royal College of Music, London – no player was late (although four had 18th century coaching session Following the first work, Ashley, as usual, cancelled during the week of the concert addressed the audience but this time and had to be replaced). The conductor 10 May Chipping Campden Festival asked that the heating be put back to its had thoughtfully emailed to warn that the Complete Brandeburg concerti previous temperature. Although someone cathedral would be cold. Players arrived twiddled a dial, nothing happened and with blankets, and rehearsed with them on 12 May Royal College of Music, London the strings become more and more out of their laps. The new, high-tech, 18th century coaching session tune. The violin and gamba were computerised central heating was simply constantly retuning, but nothing could be not working and the playing conditions 19 May Royal College of Music, London done to the harpsichord until the interval. were abysmal. The only good thing in this 18th century coaching session As the hall got hotter, the strings became freezing temperature was that strings flatter and when Terence tuned in the stayed in tune! The usual capacity 9 June Loseley House, Guildford interval, one of his harpsichord strings audience in Winchester Cathedral The Italian Connection snapped. The audience finally understood thoroughly enjoyed our performance with about the heat. the Waynfletes and we look forward to our 10 June Royal College of Music, London return visit in December to perform another 18th century coaching session The following concert, 6 days later was in great masterpiece by Handel - Israel in York, the day after it had started snowing Egypt. 20 June St Magnus Festival, Orkney Musical Offering Vivaldi flute concerto discovered 22 June St Magnus Festival, Orkney Celebration of Bach Found among Marquess of Lothian family that tour, Kerr, a flautist, is also believed to papers was a score of a flute concerto by have acquired three pieces found in the 1 July Royal College of Music, London Vivaldi that might not have been heard in same folder as the concerto. 18th century coaching session 250 years. Vivaldi's Il Gran Mogol concerto was rediscovered in the family archives of He died at Culloden in 1746 fighting for 2 July Wigmore Hall, London a Scottish nobleman who was killed at the government forces against the Jacobites. Florilegium 20th anniversary concert battle of Culloden. His whereabouts between 1732 and 1739, when he was commissioned in the army, 3 July Wigmore Hall, London Andrew Woolley, a musicologist, stumbled are not recorded. Florilegium 20th anniversary concert upon the work when he saw a reference to A weekend of concerts comprising an unspecified Vivaldi score among Il Gran Mogol is believed to have been the compete Bach Brandenburg papers belonging to the Marquesses of written by the Italian composer in the late Concerti and Orchestral Suites Lothian in the National Archives of 1720s or early 1730s as part of a quartet of See article on p1 of this Scotland in Edinburgh. It is thought that short "national" during his later Newsletter for details of the Il Gran Mogol score was collected in period. The concerto referred to India, or 2-3 July the 1730s by Lord Robert Kerr, the son of the Mogul empire, and was written as part the third Marquis of Lothian, during a of a quartet some scholars suggest was "grand tour" of continental Europe. On the geographical equivalent to Vivaldi's For further details, and The Four Seasons. The other overseas concerts, please visit three pieces, La Francia, La www.florilegium.org.uk Spagna and L'Inghilterro, remain lost.

Knighthood for Vernon Ellis Ashley Solomon will be recording this concerto with Ashley Solomon sent congratulations to Florilegium on a CD of sacred Vernon Ellis on his knighthood for and secular works by Vivaldi services to music in January 2011. He and together with the soprano Elin his wife have kindly hosted two Florilegium Manahan Thomas who also concerts in their beautiful South featured on their recent Kensington home in the last two seasons; release of Pergolesi’s Stabat a Fundraising concert with Dame Emma Mater. Kirkby and, more recently, the launch of the Bolivian Baroque Vol.3 CD. First page of Vivaldi’s manuscript