Galway Early Music Festival: In the Midst of Winter (on-demand until 12/26/2020)
$12.16 ($36.47 Festival Ticket)
Traditional — Selected works
Mateo Flecha — Selected works
Anthony Holborne — Selected works
Róisín O’Grady, soprano
Laoise O’Brien, recorders
Malachy Robinson, violone & voice
Eamon Sweeney, early guitars, lute, & bandora
Christmas-time is one of the few festivals of modern times that continues to nurture a distinct musical tradition. Some of the most evocative Christmas music dates from the Renaissance and Baroque eras. Often the text of the carols date from even earlier (with the regard to The Wexford Carol and Adeste Fideles possibly as early as the 13th century). Christmas celebrations were curtailed in England while under Cromwellian rule during the mid-seventeenth but returned in earnest on the restoration of King Charles II in 1660. The human urge to engage in festivities during the darkest days of Winter pre-dates Christianity and, no doubt, plays a role in our abilty to survive the challenging solstice nights. As the light fades to its faintest, so it signals the beginning of the year’s re-birth and renewal.
The programme will include seasonal tunes for voice, lute, recorder, and viol from William Byrd, the Irish Tradition, Thomas Holborne, Mateo Flecha, and that most prolific of composers – Anonymous.
The Gregory Walkers brings together three respected Irish musicians, Laoise O’Brien (recorders), Eamon Sweeney (lute and guitars), Malachy Robinson (viols, voice). Individually the group’s members perform a wide variety of music while in The Gregory Walkers they combine their diverse experiences and talents to present an exciting and refreshing approach to the performance of old music.
For this concert they are joined by award-wining Irish soprano, Róisín O’Grady, for a programme of music to cheer us through the dark nights.
The broadcast will be available December 16 at 8pm UTC / 12pm Pacific. Available until December 26. From Claregalway Castle, Galway, Ireland.
View full Festival schedule here: http://galwayearlymusic.com/winter-festival-events/
Tickets: €10 / $12.16 USD (€30 / $36.47 USD Festival Ticket)