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Programmes for the Season

2018-19

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4 Musick’s Monument with Lucy Crowe, soprano 5 No time in Eternity - A new work by Michael Nyman, with Iestyn Davies, counter-tenor 6 New work by Nico Muhly (with local choir)7 In Dreaming - with Mark Padmore, tenor8 The World Encompassed - new work by Orlando Gough10 Bach: Goldberg Variations11 New Wine in Old Bottles with Clare Wilkinson, mezzo-soprano12 New CD releases

Programmes for the 2018-19 Season

Fretwork is represented in the Benelux and German speaking territories by

moens artist management

hans@moens-artists.nlwww.moens-artists.nl

t +31.20.6844322 • f +31.84.8676757Nassaukade 5 • 1052 ce Amsterdam

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Few other ensembles can match the range of Fretwork’s repertory, span-ning as it does the first printed music of 1501 in Venice, to music com-missioned by the group this year. Their recordings of arrangements of J. S. Bach have won particular praise, but they have recently issued a disc containing music by Grieg, Debussy, Shostakovitch, Warlock & Britten. This extraordinary breadth of music has taken them all over the world in the 25 years since their debut, and their recordings of the classic Eng-lish viol repertory – Purcell, Gibbons, Lawes & Byrd – have become the benchmark by which others are judged. Their 2009 recording of the Pur-cell Fantazias won the Gramophone Award for Baroque Chamber Music.

The consistently high standards they have achieved have brought music old and new to audiences hitherto unfamiliar with the inspiring sound-world of the viol.

Fretwork has been shortlisted for a Royal Philharmonic Society award in the ‘Chamber Music & Song’ category.

Fretwork

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Six concerts surveying English consort music from Cornysh to Purcell

William Byrd : In Nomines; Out of the Orient; From Virgin’s womb; An earthly tree, heavenly fruitAnthony Holborne : Pavan: The Cradle; Galliard: LullabieByrd : LullabyHolborne : Galliard: As it fell on hole eve Martin Peerson : Upon my lap, my sovereign sitsOrlando Gibbons : In NomineAnon : Sweet was the song the virgin sangPeerson : AttenditeThomas Weelkes : To shorten Winter’s sadnessGibbons : Fantazy a 4 ‘for ye great dooble bass’Holborne : Almain: The New Yeare’s Gift Byrd : O God that guides the cheerful sun

Musick’s Monument - with Lucy Crowe, soprano

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FretworkAsako Morikawa, Richard Boothby, Reiko Ichise, Emily Ashton, Sam Stadlen - viols withIestyn Davies - Counter-tenor

Michael Nyman & Henry Purcell

Nyman: No Time in Eternity (2016) Purcell: Two Fantazies in four parts Nyman: New work Purcell: The Evening HymnNyman: Balancing the BooksPurcell: Music for a while ; O Solitude; Fantazy in four parts; Fantazy upon one noteNyman: The Self-Laudatory Hymn of Innanna and her Omnipotence (1992)

No Time in Eternity A new work by Michael Nyman, with Iestyn Davies, Counter-tenor

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Fretwork (6 viols) & the BBC Singers or aww local choir

Thea Musgrave: Wild Winter (STTB, 5 viols)William Byrd: Christ Rising 4/6 viols, 6 voices (2s soloists) Fantasia in 6 partsChristopher Tye: Christ Rising from the Dead 6 voices Crye - In Nomine 5 viols Trust - In Nomine 5 violsOrlando Gibbons: Behold, thou hast made my days SATB 5 viols Fantasia in 6 parts Go from my window Nico Muhly: My Days ATTB 5 viols [composed for Fretwork and the Hilliard Ensemble and first performed in 2012]

Nico Muhly

New work by Nico Muhly (with local choir)

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Through the ages, British composers have been inspired to write some of the most beautiful vocal music. Star tenor Mark Padmore will join Fretwork for the first time to perform songs from Henry Purcell and John Dow-land to Vaughan Williams and Benjamin Britten. The title of the programme is taken from a contemporary piece by Sally Beamish.

John Dowland: Flow my tears/Lachrimæ Antiquæ; The King of Denmarks Galiard; Can she excuse my wrongs/ The Earle of Essex Galiard Henry Purcell: Fantasia in 4 parts; Music for a whileVaughan Williams: Linden Lea; Nocturne Purcell: Fantasia upon one noteSally Beamish: in dreaming Dowland: In darkness let me dwell Ivor Gurney: Sleep Purcell: O Solitude; Two Fantasies in 4 parts; Hosanna to the highest George Butterworth: Bredon Hill Benjamin Britten: The Choirmaster’s Burial; The trees they grow so high; O, Waly, waly

‘In Dreaming’ with Mark Padmore, tenor

Mark Padmore (photo by Marco Borggreve)

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Sir Francis Drake’s Circumnavigation of the globe 1577-80

When Drake set sail from Plymouth on 15th November 1577, he took with him four viol players: Simon Wood, Thomas Meckes, Richard Clarke & “George”, who almost certainly had no idea that they were about to embark on such an epic journey. The viols played music to accompany Drake’s private worship - he prayed for over an hour each day, and sang hymns to the viols; they also entertained him while he ate; he also used the pacific nature of the music to impress the natives in South America, and then also in Java, where the king retuned the favour:

One day amongst the rest, viz. March 21. Raia Donan coming aboard us, in requital of our musick which was made to him, presented our generall with his country musick, which though it were of a very strange kind, yet the sound was pleasant and delightful:

Fretwork have commissioned Orlando Gough (Birds on Fire) to use these scant facts to create a journey in sound that charts Drake’s remarkable feat. Music from the 16th century prior to Drake’s departure will be woven seamlessly into a through-composed piece of music lasting 70 minutes. Drake stopped in Morocco, The Cape Verde Islands, Brasil, Argentina, Patagonia; passed through the Straights of Magellan (where he lost one of the sister ships, and another turned back, and where the Pelican was renamed The Golden Hinde); then up the coast of Chile, Mexico, California, across the Pacific Ocean to the Moluccas, Java, then round Cape of Good Hope, Sierra Leone and finally Plymouth in September 1580.

The few hymns popularly sung at the time, published in 1562 & 3 by Sternhold & Hopkins, severe and austere, will be contrasted with the exotic and ‘strange’ music of these countries.

The World Encompassed - Orlando Gough

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Leaving PlymouthRobert Parsons: The Song Called TrumpetsPreserve us O LordMogadorJohn Taverner: In NomineMaio Santiago Fogo: Maian rituals; the capture of Nuño de Silva; flying fishFortune my FoePort Desire: Patagonian IndiansParsons: In Nomine IIITerra Incognita: an island of geese (or what look like geese); glimpses of the Indians; an eclipse of the moon; stormsThe Humble Suit of a Sinner---The Spanish MainParsons: De La CourtAlbion: Miwok Indians180 degreesPavin of AlbartiTernate: MoorsPicforth: In NomineJavaFortune my FoeDa Pacem DomineParsons: The Song called Trumpets

Fretwork (Photo: Chris Dawes)

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Bach: Goldberg Variations

Following on from Fretwork’s highly-praised recordings and performances of both ‘Die Kunst der Fuge’ (The Art of Fugue) and ‘Alio Modo’ (arrangements and transcriptions of various keyboard music, including the Passacaglia, the Piece d‘Orgue, several Preludes & Fugues and music from the Clavierübung III), they now propose their arrangement of the pinnacle of Bach’s keyboard works, the ‘Aria mit verschiedenen Veränder-ungen’ or Goldberg Variations BWV 988.This brilliant and necessarily virtuosic arrangement encompasses the complete work, all 32 movements, and employs all six viols of the ensemble. It turns Bach’s extraordinary keyboard virtuosity into a challenging ensemble work, unparalleled in the viol consort repertory.

Setting

Fretwork: Liam Byrne, Asako Morikawa, Reiko Ichise, Richard Tunncliffe, Richard Boothby, viols

Availability

on request throughout the Season

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In the 18-19 Season, Fretwork will continue to pour New wine in old bottles: music by Henry Purcell, contemporaries and new work written for Fretwork with Clare Wilkinson.

John Joubert The Fellowship of the Stretched String (2008) For the 350th anniversary of Purcell’s birth Peter Sculthorpe Djililie (1995) Elvis Costello ‘Put away forbidden playthings’ (1995) Tan Dun ‘A Sinking Love’ (1995) Orlando Gough Birds on Fire II (2001) Michael Nyman ‘If” Henry Purcell Fantazy upon one note (1680) Barry Guy Buzz (1995) Duncan Druce Three Vaughn Settings (2007)Henry Purcell In Nomine in 6 parts (1680) Gavin Bryars In Nomine after Purcell (1995) Stephen Wilkinson ‘The Garden’

Availability: On request

New Wine in Old Bottles, with Clare Wilkinson, mezzo-soprano

“Clare Wilkinson fügte sich mit ihrer porzellanfar-benen Balsamstimme geschmeidig in die kammer-

musikalische Intimität der Gamben ein und changi-erte zwischen vibratoloser Reinheit und sinnlichem

Erblühen einer von den seltenen Abenden nach denen man beglückt und irgendwie seelisch gereinigt

von dannen schwebt.”HAMBURGER ABENDBLATT

Clare Wilkinson

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A Treatie on Humane Love, by Martin Peerson, with I Fagiolini on Regent Records. You can read a review here: http://www.fretwork.co.uk

The World Encompassed by Orlando Gough, with Simon Callowto be released on Signum Classics and presented on 23rd June at a concert at Wigmore Hall

Gibbons Anthems, with The Magdalena Consort to be released on Signum Classics on 12th November, together with a major article in Gramophone Magazine

John Jenkins: Complete 4-part Fantasieson Signum Classics in March 2018

In Nomine 2, including ‘Slow’ by Nico Muhlyon Signum Classics in June 2018

Previous recordings: see www.fretwork.co.uk/recordings

New CD Releases

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moens artist management

hans@moens-artists.nlwww.moens-artists.nl

t +31.20.6844322 • f +31.84.8676757Nassaukade 5 • 1052 ce Amsterdam