Newbury’s in the mood for love and rocks the Baroque
Love songs by the 17th century Venetian composer Barbara Strozzi
How lucky are we to have such a fine Baroque musician living among us and even more, that Theresa Caudle promotes fabulous music on our doorstep through her Burghclere Baroque.
Those who went to their last concert Exquisite Airs in September have already had the pleasure of hearing Jenni Harper (soprano) and Toby Carr (theorbo), and it’s great to see them return to Burghclere’s Church of the Ascension, this time within a larger ensemble, for Voices of Longing on February 28 (7pm).
They are joined by soprano Emily Owen, Kate Conway on viola da gamba and harpsichordist Satoko Doi-Luck.
Ceruleo is a group with two sopranos, theorbo, viola da gamba and harpsichord, who have just released their second CD Voices of Longing.
The programme features love songs by the extraordinary 17th century female composer Barbara Strozzi, and this concert is one of a series of performances Ceruleo are giving to launch the CD, which has already been chosen by The Times as one of the best classical CDs of 2025 so far.
The Continuo Foundation, a grant-giving organisation which supports the performance and recording of Early Music, has given support to Ceruleo to make this CD and to give a series of concerts including a performance in Burghclere.
“One of The Continuo Foundation’s aims is to bring world-class performance to new venues around the country, and we in Burghclere are so fortunate that we can benefit from this scheme,” said Theresa.
Barbara Strozzi made her name as both a performer and composer in the semi-private spaces of the ‘accademici’ of 17th century Venice, meetings of the intelligentsia to discuss and perform music, poetry and art.
Described as the ‘virtuosissima cantatrice’ (most virtuosic singer) in the preface of a work dedicated to her in 1636 by the composer Nicola Fontei, she was to become the most published composer of secular song of her time. Her distinctive style is characterised by virtuosic vocal lines, sophisticated interplay between voice(s) and basso continuo accompaniment, and a dramatic approach to text setting that went above and beyond that of her influences Claudio Monteverdi and Francesco Cavalli.
This is passionate music, with the titular longing of our programme referring to desires for love, both in general and in the specific form of another person, but also to a longing for an answer to life's questions, or to relief from life's burdens. In this programme Ceruleo bring to life the music of this extraordinary composer with two singers and three instrumentalists, combining a selection of her finest works with instrumental pieces by her contemporaries.
Formed in 2014, Ceruleo create dramatic programmes using spoken text alongside music for two sopranos and continuo. Every member of the group performs as a soloist, and they use all available combinations of instruments and voices to create innovative and captivating performances. They specialise in the music of Restoration England and Seventeenth Century Italy.
Ceruleo released their first album, ‘Love Restor’d - Songs from Restoration England’, in December 2022, and throughout 2023 took the programme to audiences around the UK, giving concerts in London, at the York Early Music Christmas Festival, and from Exeter in the south up to Helensburgh in Scotland.
Their staged show about Henry Purcell, written by Clare Norburn and directed by Thomas Guthrie, toured UK-wide in 2018-20. ‘Burying the Dead’ was performed at Festivals including the Buxton International Festival, Lake District Summer Music, Brighton Early Music Festival, Ryedale Festival and Baroque at the Edge at LSO St Luke’s.
Ceruleo are former participants of the prestigious Brighton Early Music Festival’s Live! Scheme, and have given recitals at venues including St John's Smith Square, St Martin-in-the-Fields, Handel & Hendrix in London, the Courtauld Gallery and for Newbury Spring Festival, the London Handel Festival, the Folkestone Literature Festival and live on BBC Radio 3's 'In Tune'.
Tickets £10-£25 at your discretion, under 18s free. Includes glass of wine or soft drink. Email theresa@burghclerebaroque.com or call (01635) 276009.
