La Spagna! Treasures of the Spanish Golden Age.
The music of Spain’s ‘Golden Age’ (circa 1490-1650) ranged from the serene polyphony of composers like Victoria to the infectious dance rhythms of the villancico repertoire. This concert by The English Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble (ECSE) celebrates the musical traditions of the Iberian peninsular, as well as the skill of the renaissance Spanish wind players, or Ministriles, who were present in towns, courts and cathedrals. These players of cornetts, sackbuts and shawms entertained in market squares, accompanied royal processions and dances, and played sacred music in service of the church, making music integral to renaissance daily life.
ECSE will also perform the winning pieces of the 2023 NCEM/BBC Radio 3 Young Composers Award: ‘Bog Bodies’ by Owen Spafford and ‘A Ceremonial Dance for Mice’ by Jacob Jordan – both inspired by Spanish renaissance themes. You can read more about the competition and the winners here.
Early Music Offer
Book for The English Cornett and Sackbutt Ensemble and Baronial Baroque on Thursday 16 November in the same transaction and get 25% off your tickets (discount automatically applied during the booking process.)
The English Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble is a virtuoso period instrument group with a host of distinguished recordings to its name. In addition to its recital work, the ensemble collaborates with leading vocal ensembles such as I Fagiolini, The Tallis Scholars, Alamire, Resurgam, The Marian Consort, Westminster Cathedral Choir, and is a regular at major festivals. ECSE is in demand as a recording ensemble, contributing to Gramophone Award-winning discs such as The Spy’s Choirbook (Obsidian) in 2015, and the monumental Striggio mass in 40 parts Missa ecco si beato giorno with I Fagiolini (which scooped the Gramophone Award for Early Music 2011 and also the Diapason d’Or). ECSE celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2018 with a solo CD on the Resonus label entitled Music for Windy Instruments: sounds from the Court of James I.
ECSE celebrates it’s 30th anniversary this year. Plans include several trips to Ireland with the Irish vocal ensemble Resurgam – with whom the ensemble will be releasing a recording of music by Thomas Weelkes this autumn. Other performances include Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 with I Fagiolini, and a Christmas concert celebrating William Byrd’s 400th anniversary with The BBC Singers (directed by Owain Park). This year ECSE once again participated in the NCEM/BBC Radio3 Young Composer Competition – an event which culminates this very evening.
Owen Spafford (left) and Jacob Jordan (right) winners of the annual Young Composer Award
