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Our next concert

Sunday 9th June 2024 at St Mathew's Church, Ashford, Surrey, TW15 2PL at  4.30pm.

Music::

Maurice Greene - Overture No.3 in C   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uloNml0bqeg&t=692
Domenico Gallo - Trio Sonata No.1 in G for 2 Violins and Continuo  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RlQy1x36a0
Guiseppe Sammartini - Overture in F  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHYfUhSgguM
Francesco Manfredini - Concerto for 2 Trumpets  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsl9Ea9rVwA
Luigi Boccherini - Flute Quintet in D  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgSsubBcJ-o
Georg Philipp Telemann - Ouverture-Suite in G minor, TWV55:G1  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rtp4hVH86Q

Programmes will be available at the door and cost just £5, with under 18s £3. The concert will last about 1 hour.

Although the pieces - and indeed the composers - in this concert may be unfamiliar to many, all the pieces have been chosen because of their interest and/or beauty. Do listen to the YouTube examples and hopefully you will agree!
The Gallo Trio Sonata theme was used by Stravinsky in his Pulcinella suite. Boccherini is best known for his charming Minuet in A, and this Quintet is in a similar style.
We welcome Gareth and Jo Green for the Double Trumpet Concerto - always a popular instrument in our concerts, and the Overtures that frame these works have plenty of rhythmic and melodic interest. We look forward to seeing you there.  :)

Other forthcoming concerts:
Sunday 21st July, at 4.30 at St Matthew's, Church Road, Ashford, Surrey. TW15 2PL


Purchase our 40 minute video recording!
made in Christ Church, Staines on 12th March, 2022
Cost: £3 (GBP)
Money raised will go towards buying new music and other costs involved in running the ABE


About Ashford Baroque Ensemble

We rehearse at St Matthew's Church, Ashford, SURREY (Middlesex), ie. not Kent! approximately fortnightly on Monday evenings from 7.30 - 9.30, with about 3-5 rehearsals per concert. Formed in 2005, we are a mainly modern instrument Baroque ensemble, although many of our string players have Baroque bows. We aim for an ‘authentic’ playing style, and we do sometimes tune down a semitone to Baroque pitch - for example when we have music for strings only, or when Baroque wind instruments are available. We generally play music from about 1600-1785, from late Renaissance pieces at one end to early Classical at the other, including music by Haydn & Mozart. In most concerts we perform trio sonatas or other smaller scale works as well as concertos and sinfonias, and from time to time include vocal and choral music, to provide our audiences - and players - with plenty of variety. Several of our players play to concerto standard, so we do not normally employ paid soloists from outside the ensemble.

And we are always looking for new players, especially strings and brass - please see below for details under Vacancies below, and email us if you are interested.

About our Director
Philip Buckmaster gained an honours degree at the Colchester Institute School of Music, where Peter Holman (of The Parley of Instruments) was the resident early music lecturer. He studied the organ, piano, harpsichord, violin, singing, composing and conducting. He then followed a specialist course for music teachers at Kingston University and now enjoys a varied career in and around London, playing, teaching, directing, composing and arranging. He has always had a keen interest in Baroque music and its performance, and founded the ABE in 2005. He is Director of Music at St Matthew's Church, Ashford, and was Conductor of Feltham Choral Society from 1991 to 2016. He also teaches with Richmond Music Trust, encouraging young people with his tailor-made compositions for youth ensembles. Having a wide range of musical interests and happy to play anythng from Baroque to Rock, he now also plays the flute, timpani and the drum kit!

Vacancies
We are always pleased to hear from instrumentalists, as extras are needed from time to time. Players who are grade 8 standard and above are invited to apply - but we are looking for players with enthusiasm for Baroque music, good intonation, musicality and good sight reading rather than formal qualifications. There are no fees to join or play, but players are usually paid a fee for concerts when we accompany choirs.
Currently we would be particularly interested to hear from players of the viola, cello, double bass and French horn.
Please e-mail info@ashfordbaroque.org.uk if you are interested in joining us.

PLEASE NOTE that we do not normally employ paid soloists from outside the ensemble.