Greenwich International Festival & Exhibition

Heather Sager, Early Music Shop

1 November 2006

A lively mix of exhibition and performance, filling the historic Old Royal Naval College with the sounds of early music and song.

Following its enormous success in 2005, the Greenwich International Festival & Exhibition of Early Music is returning to Greenwich for its fifth consecutive year. The Festival, promoted jointly by The Early Music Shop, Trinity College of Music and The Greenwich Foundation, is the largest UK event of its kind and continues to welcome an ever-increasing number of visitors to this essential annual fixture in the early music calendar. The 17th century buildings of the Old Royal Naval College with the elaborate Painted Hall and exquisite Chapel, the newly refurbished Blackheath Halls, as well as Trinity College of Music’s King Charles Court provide the perfect setting for a weekend of all things early music.

The Festival is in two parts: exhibition and performance. The exhibition is set against the magnificent backdrop of the historic Painted Hall, attracting some 100 exhibitors from around the globe, including instrument makers, shops, music publishers, recording companies, societies and forums - all under one roof. There is the widest range of instruments imaginable on display and for sale: from lutes and flutes through sackbuts and spinets to hurdy gurdies and harpsichords. This is the perfect and unique opportunity for visitors to meet the instrument makers and compare, contrast and buy the instrument they had always promised themselves!

Performance events take place throughout the weekend in several venues including the Chapel of the Old Royal Naval College, Trinity College of Music in King Charles Court and at Blackheath Halls. Free makers’ demonstration recitals take place every hour throughout the weekend in the Admiral’s House and workshops and master classes with some of the finest early musicians take place with Trinity students in King Charles Court.

2006 marks the 30th anniversary of the death of David Munrow, one of the great pioneers of the Early Music revival, and Friday 10th November sees a special event - "Sound the Trumpet" A Celebration for David Munrow. This concert features James Bowman and Nicholas Clapton (countertenors), John Turner and David Pugsley (recorders), Ian Thompson (harpsichord) and Jonathan Price (cello). The programme will feature music by Purcell, Handel, and John Blow (Ode on the death of Mr Henry Purcell) and a new work by Judith Bingham, based on the short but tempestuous, debauched life of The Earl of Rochester.
7.45pm Old Royal Naval College Chapel

Trinity College of Music Showcase leads the performances with students and professors from Trinity College of Music. The line-up will include cellist Susan Sheppard, harpsichordist John Henry and one of the leading names in Early Music today, Philip Thorby. Philip will be part of the Edgar Hunt Memorial Concert on Saturday 11 November at 7.45pm in Old Royal Naval College Chapel.

Foremost exponent of baroque cello, Susan Sheppard performs as part of a lecture recital alongside Judy Tarling, delivering the rhetorical language of Bach’s suites for solo cello. As well as this lecture recital the Festival boasts a free master class by John Henry (with the kind cooperation of the British Clavichord Society) on the Harpsichord and Clavichord. (10.30am – 1.00pm, Friday 10 November, The Peacock Room)
There are a number of performances with tickets available at the very reasonable sum of £1.00. Dance and early music combine in the Old Royal Naval College Chapel with Alison Crum (viols) and Roy Marks (lute) featuring dances and divisions of the early sixteenth century. Philip Thorby will direct students from Trinity College of Music in Polyhymnia Motets by Michael Praetorius for Voices and Instruments.

The final day includes The Division Flute 1 (1706) 300th Anniversary Concert. Including grounds and divisions on popular tunes in late 17th Century England. The weekend closing with Maria Martinez Ayerza, winner of the 2005 Moeck/ SRP solo recorder playing competition in the Old Royal Naval College Chapel at 4.00pm, Sunday 12 November.

For further press concert information please contact:
Amy Brown, Trinity College of Music, 020 8305 4438, abrown@tcm.ac.uk

Admission to the exhibition, including a programme and free entry to many daytime events:
Adults: £7.50
Concessions: £5.00
2 day ticket: £12.00
3 day ticket: £16.00

Children under 14 free Concert ticket prices vary
For full exhibition details including exhibitor and concert listings, visit the festival website at www.gifem.com or www.tcm.ac.uk
For further press exhibition information please contact:
Peter Booth Tel: 01274 393753, peter@earlyms.demon.co.uk