Strand Chamber Music Series 2023/4 (Concert 7) - Fair Oriana

Enjoy the seventh concert in this exceptional new series of nine dates of outstanding chamber music in the beautiful candlelit venue of St Mary le Strand.  A unique opportunity to experience some of the UK's leading chamber music artists, the series will cover a broad spectrum of repertoire from ensemble works by Beethoven, Ravel and Debussy to exquisite early vocal works by John Mundy, John Dowland and William Byrd along with 20th Century works for Saxophone quartet.  St Mary le Strand is a stunning and intimate venue, the perfect setting for this musical experience. There are also many bars and restaurants nearby to complete your evening. This concert features the exceptional talents of Fair Oriana Angela Hicks and Penelope Appleyard - Sopranos.  Sam Brown - Lute.  Harry Buckoke - Viola da gamba Programme A Domino Psalm 118 - Fraser Wilson The woods so wild - William Byrd Go ye my canzonets - Thomas Morley  Lightly she whipped -  John Mundy Come Away Come Sweet Love -  John Dowland (1st book) Sweet nymph come to thy lover -  Thomas Morley  The Lady Oriana - John Wilbye Doubt of future foes -  Elizabeth 1 Time Stands Still - John Dowland  Dear if you change -John Dowland Go Crystal Tears - John Dowland Frog Galliard -  John Dowland Monsieur's Departure -  Fraser Wilson Love's Farewell - Tobias Hume  Oh thou that art so cruel - Thomas Morley  Oh Mistress Mine - William Byrd All Creatures Now - John Bennett About Fair Oriana  Described as "pure vocal beauty "by Classic FM, Fair Oriana are a soprano duo known for the purity of their voices and trade-mark blend. They specialise in singing historical repertoire, and, in collaboration with regular teams of instrumentalists, perform chamber concerts with a hint of theatre. Both members of Dame Emma Kirkby's ensemble Dowland Works, specialist early music sopranos Angela Hicks and Penelope Appleyard joined forces in 2019 to form Fair Oriana, a unique duo that mixes their passion for historical music with entertaining staging, contemporary influences and, varying genres such as folk, jazz and cross-over.  Their concerts are often characterised by their use of gesture and acclaimed acting - as well as vocal - abilities. They perform their chamber programmes in concert series around the UK and internationally. These have included the Three Choirs Festival, the Ryedale Festival, Sherborne Abbey Festival, Amia Alsace and many others. They have appeared twice in the Resonanzen Festival at Vienna's Konzerthaus, firstly with their Robin Hood programme (devised especially for the festival) and then with Handel cantata 'Aminta e Fillide', an historically informed performance in collaboration with Opera Settecento, which they premiered at St George's Hanover Square in 2019. For this simply staged production they use baroque gesture and employ baroque performance practices. Sam Brown or “the Eric Clapton of the lute”, is one of the leading cordophonists of his generation. Known for his sensitive style and stagecraft, Sam enjoys an international career that has taken him to major venues across three continents. A graduate of the Royal College of Music, where he trained with Jakob Lindberg, he has also played for stage, radio, film and TV, notably at the Sam Wanamaker playhouse and alongside Jude Law in Firebrand (2022).    Harry Buckoke plays viola da gamba with Lux Musicae, London Dramma per Musica and Idrisi Ensemble. He appears on recordings with Fieri Consort, Chelys, Fair Oriana and Ensemble Augelletti. He has also created music for political burlesque shows, performance art, theatre, and for the Melissa West Dance Company. Harry has studied Viol with Paolo Pandolfo at Schola Cantorrum Basiliensis and has an MA in Aesthetics from NYU.