Recent Events

October 2020: In Short, live recital

Just before the second lockdown, Philomel was delighted to be able to perform in front of a sold-out, socially distanced audience in Richmond. Felicity, Suzy and Janet, accompanied by Toby Carr on theorbo, performed a meditative mix of contemporary and baroque songs for a masked but very appreciative audience. Excerpts of the beautiful poem cycle ‘Birdcries of Saint Cecilia’ by Euan Tait – written for Janet two years ago – were read between groups of songs.

Composers

Video Links

O Lilie Faire	Sheena Phillips
Break of Day	Emily Doolittle
Stay o sweet	Emily Doolittle
Outwithin	Paul Ayres
Moon Sister	Paul Ayres
Take, o take	Paul Ayres
Laustic	Janet Oates
Secret wishes	Tansy Davies
Che si puo fare	Barbara Strozzi
Colombella	Domenico Mazzocchi
Folle cor	Domenico Mazzocchi
Zefiro Torna	Claudio Monteverdi
Il mio martir	Claudio Monteverdi

August 2020: In Short

Delighted and relieved to be able to make music again, albeit without an audience, Philomel met (at the required social distance!) to record newly-written songs by four composers of less than two minutes each. Not only has this produced some wonderful videos and showcased the wide variety of styles available to contemporary composers, but the project will lead on to a live performance of these and other contemporary works as soon as possible.

Composers

Video Links

After heavy rain	Janet Oates
Laustic	Janet Oates
Limb-loosening love	Janet Oates
Leaves on the line	Sheena Phillips
Please hold	Sheena Phillips
Sing softly	Paul Ayres
Take o take	Paul Ayres
Stay o sweet	Emily Doolittle

November 2019: Folle Cor

Philomel presented an evening of 17th century passion and intimacy! Folle Cor presented songs, duets and trios from the courts of Northern Italy, on the theme of love and obsession. In our first programme of purely historical repertoire, Janet, Suzy and Charlotte were accompanied by Mike and Arngeir in the enchanting candle-lit venue of the Barn Church, Kew, and discussed various aspects of the music (such as how figured bass works) with the appreciative audience.

November 24th 2018, the Swiss Church, Covent Garden

On November 24th 2018 Philomel presented 'Cecila Sings': a programme of new and historical music on the theme of Saint Cecilia and the power of music. Accompanied by projected images and video, 4 newly commissioned works by Janet Oates, Sheena Phillips, Joel Järventausta and Domenic McGonigal were juxtaposed with repertoire from the Concerto delle Donne, including by Barbara Strozzi and Francesca Caccini, all interwoven with madrigals by Maddalena Casulana. The venue (the Swiss Church, Covent Garden) had a generous acoustic and the six soprano voices soared and filled the place. The full audience was thrilled and showed their appreciation with prolonged applause.

Here you can look at the repertoire; and Here is an overview of what images were displayed during the concert. Here is a short highlights video of the evening.

November 2nd 2017, the Brunel Shaft, Rotherhithe

Philomel's first concert was November 2nd 2017 in the amazing venue of the Brunel Shaft, Rotherhithe. Beginning with nightingale song and the haunting chant of Hildegarde of Bingen, and ending with a spellbinding arrangement by Janet Oates of Le Rossignol (the Nightingale) by Saint-Saëns, the audience was transfixed by the programme and gave us rapturous applause and fantastic comments at the end. The four new commissions were kindly sponsored by the RVW Trust and by Projonix, with extra support from Sound and Music, the Early Music Shop, and Green Man Press.

Our second and third concerts in March 2018 expanded on our first success, adding solos and recorder music, maintaining the bird theme and the focus on women composers. Despite the blizzards of 'the beast from the East', audiences in Richmond (the Unitarian Church) and Rotherhithe (Holy Trinity Church) were very appreciative. The concerts were generously supported by the Arts Council England.

During a rehearsal:

By Projonix