London’s St Martin-in-the-Fields launches a new concert series entitled Fresh Horizons, putting the venue at the heart of music-making in the capital
· The series features internationally acclaimed artists including Chineke!, Stile Antico, Peter Donohoe, The Gesualdo Six and Academy of Martin-in-the-Fields
· Each concert will be recorded behind closed doors and streamed to ticketholders through the StMartins.Digital platform, and available for 30 days
· The series will move to live performances when possible
· The concert series is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund
On Thursday 28 January 2021, London’s St Martin-in-the-Fields will be launching a new weekly concert series – Fresh Horizons – supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Running from 28 January to April 2021, the series offers fourteen streamed concerts recorded in the beautiful surroundings of St Martin-in-the-Fields church.
The launch concert will feature the London Mozart Players performing Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires and Roxanna Panufnik’s Four World Seasons. The concert will also be introduced by Panufnik.
Composer Roxanna Panufnik said: ‘I am absolutely delighted to be included in this spring series of concerts at St Martin-in-the-Fields, and for Four World Seasons to herald this more-than-ever needed season of light and hope. Having been closely involved with both London Mozart Players and the music of St Martin’s over a number of years, it is an honour to play a part in the next exciting chapter of all our musical lives.’
Some of the many highlights of the series include: three concerts from Grammy-Award winning vocal ensemble Stile Antico performing music from their new album featuring works by Josquin des Prez together with works by Claudio Monteverdi and Nico Muhly; the London Mozart Players giving three concerts including Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with soloist Jonian Ilias Kadesha and a performance of a new arrangement for chamber ensemble of Stainer’s Crucifixion by composer and pianist Ian Farrington; the Piatti Quartet celebrating 10 years of the St Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Music Competition with a programme of Purcell, Beethoven and Dvořák; The Gesualdo Six performing a programme of works by Orlando Gibbons, William Byrd and Thomas Tallis; pianist Peter Donohoe giving a concert featuring works by Schubert, Brahms and Messiaen among others; Handel’s Messiah performed by St Martin’s Voices and the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields with images projected on to the East Window curated by Nina Dunn Studio; Academy of St Martin in the Fields performing contemporary works by composers including James MacMillan alongside great Baroque masterpieces; and Chineke! Chamber Ensemble performing folk-song arrangements by Florence B Price and Schubert’s Piano Quintet in A, D667 (Trout).
The details of the Fresh Horizons concert series come after the venue announced a new vision for music at St Martin’s to broaden its musical output and provide greater opportunities for musicians and audiences. This new phase of its music programme has the aim of shaping a series of carefully curated, sector-leading and inspiring performances.
This season, the concert programme looks to recontextualise the Baroque, Classical and chamber repertoire for which St Martin’s is well known with fresh takes on core repertoire such as Handel’s Messiah, Stainer’s Crucifixion and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
Andrew Earis, Director of Music at St Martin-in-the-Fields said: ‘Keeping our music programme running throughout the pandemic has been hugely important to us at St Martin-in-the-Fields, and we have been thrilled by the enthusiasm of both our performers and audiences since March. Through the Fresh Horizons series, our aim is to create a programme that welcomes a broad range of world-leading musicians and artists, both up-and-coming and established. We are thrilled to be involving our professional vocal ensemble St Martin’s Voices, partnering with leading instrumental ensembles Academy of St Martin in the Fields and London Mozart Players as well as building on existing relationships with musicians such as the Piatti Quartet who were winners of our first Chamber Competition ten years ago. I am delighted to see our music programme continue to grow, and look forward immensely to welcoming these artists and ensembles to our beautiful building.’
Tickets for the entire series are now on sale through smitf.org/fresh-horizons. Tickets are priced at £10 with group discounts and series passes also available.
St Martin-in-the-Fields Fresh Horizons Concert Series
Weekly hour-long concerts streamed online and available for 30 days
Thursday 28 January 2021, 7.30pm
London Mozart Players, Ruth Rogers (violin), programme introduced by Roxanna Panufnik
Four World Seasons
Piazzolla: Four Seasons of Buenos Aires (Ruth Rogers soloist)
Panufnik: Four World Seasons (Ruth Rogers soloist)
Thursday 4 February 2021, 7.30pm
Stile Antico
Josquin: Father of the Renaissance
Josquin des Prez: Ave Maria/Virgo serena; Kyrie from Missa Pange Lingua; Vivrai je toujours; El Grillo, Inviolata, integra es; Gloria from Missa Pange Lingua; Mille regretz; Salve regina; Agnus Dei I and III from Missa Pange Lingua
Hieronymus Vinders: O mors inevitabilis
Jacquet de Mantua: Dum vastos Adriae fluctus
Thursday 11 February 2021, 7.30pm
St Martin’s Players
The Golden Age of Jazz
Copland: Appalachian Spring
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue*
Shostakovich: Movements from Jazz Suite*
*Reduced orchestration arrangements by Iain Farrington
Thursday 18 February 2021, 7.30pm
Stile Antico
A Garden of Delights
Earthly delights
William Byrd: This sweet and merry month
John Wilbye: The Lady Oriana
Thomas Weelkes: As Vesta was from Latmos hill descending
John Bennet: All creatures now are merry minded
Maddalena Casulana: Vagh’ amorosi
Claudio Monteverdi: Quel augellin che canta
Huw Watkins: The Phoenix and the Turtle
Heavenly delights
Clemens non Papa: Ego flos campi
anon. (Leonora D’Este?): Sicut lilium inter spinas
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Sicut lilium inter spinas
Francisco Guerrero: Surge propera
Rodrigo Ceballos: Hortus conclusus
Sebastian de Vivanco: Veni dilecte mi
Hieronymus Praetorius: Tota pulchra es
Thursday 25 February 2021, 7.30pm
London Mozart Players, Jonian Ilias Kadesha (violin)
Britten: Simple Symphony
Beethoven: Violin Concerto
Thursday 4 March 2012, 7.30pm
Stile Antico
Toward the Dawn
John Wilbye: Draw on sweet night
Robert White: Christe qui lux es IV
William Byrd: Vigilate
John Ward: Come sable night
Thomas Morley: Laboravi in gemitu meo
Nico Muhly: Gentle sleep
Orlandus Lassus : Toutes le nuitz
Thomas Tallis: O nata lux
Claudio Monteverdi: Ecco mormorar l’onde
John Taverner: Ave Dei Patris filia
Thursday 11 March 2021, 7.30pm
Academy of St Martin in the Fields
J.S Bach: Brandenburg Concerto, No. 6 in B flat major, BWV 1051
James Macmillan: Untold
Brahms: Serenade, No. 2 in A major, Op. 16
Thursday 18 March 2021, 7.30pm
Peter Donohoe (piano)
Schubert: Moment Musical No 6 in Ab major
Mendelssohn: Song Without Words Op 38 No 6 in Ab major ‘Duetto’
Brahms: Klavierstücke, Op. 118 No. 5 (Romanza in F major) and No 6 (Intermezzo in Eb minor)
Busoni: Elegy No. 3 (Meine Seele bangt und Hofft zu Dir)
Grieg: from Lyric Pieces, Op. 43 No. 5 (Erotik) and No. 6 (To Spring)
Schubert: Impromptu, Op. 90 No. 3 in G flat major and No. 4 in A flat major
Bach/Busoni: Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major, BWV 564
Thursday 25 March 2021, 7.30pm
Piatti Quartet
Celebrating 10 years of the SMITF Chamber Music Competition
Purcell: Chacony in G minor
Beethoven: String Quartet No. 1 in F major, Op. 18
Dvořák: String Quartet No. 12 in F major American
Thursday 1 April 2021, 7.30pm
London Mozart Players, Ian Farrington (arranger)
Stainer: Crucifixion
Thursday 8 April 2021, 7.30pm
St Martin’s Voices, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Nina Dunn Studio (image projection)
Handel: Messiah
With images projected on the East window of St Martin’s
Thursday 15 April 2021, 7.30pm
The Gesualdo Six
Orland Gibbons: Come, Holy Ghost
William Byrd: Ave verum corpus
William Byrd: Aspice Domine
John Dunstaple: Veni Sancte Spiritus
William Cornysh: Ave Maria Mater Dei
Thomas Weelkes: All people, clap your hands
William Byrd: Viri Galilaei
Robert White: Christe qui lux es et dies (I)
Thomas Tallis: If ye love me
Christopher Tye: If ye be risen again with Christ
William Mundy: A new commandment
William Byrd: Laudate pueri Dominum
Thomas Tallis: Loquebantur
Orlando Gibbons: Drop, drop slow tears
Thursday 22 April 2021, 7.30pm
Academy of St Martin in the Fields, John Butt (conductor)
Locke: The Tempest
Purcell: Suite from The Fairy Queen
Errollyn Wallen: Piece to be announced
Handel: Concerto Grosso in B flat major, Op. 3, No. 1
Thursday 29 April 2021, 7.30pm
Chineke! Chamber Ensemble
Florence B Price: Two Folksongs in Counterpoint – Drink to me with thine own eyes; Shortnin’ Bread
Schubert: Piano Quintet in A, D 667 (Trout)