Here for your convenience you can find a list of events in our region not organised by MEMF which may be of interest to you. Whilst we have made every effort to be accurate, we suggest that you check details on the websites or phone numbers provided.
If you are aware of an event which is not listed here, please contact the Newsletter Editor
You might like to also visit the brilliant Early Music Website at https://earlymusicdiary.org.uk where you will find nationwide events organized into categories to assist your search.
And the Continuo Foundation’s new digital hub – a comprehensive concert finder of early music events (by region) across the UK – is at https://www.continuoconnect
Diary of Events in the Midlands
# Denotes an online event
Recent additions in Red
FEBRUARY 2026
Sat 14: Echoes – a mini music Festival – 2 – 8.30 in Selly Oak Methodist Church, Birmingham, B29 6HT. https://renaissance-winds.com/
2pm: Arngeir Hauksson (lute) 50 mins. Free donations welcome
4.30: Ancient instruments – Meet and Greet, Q & A – 45 mins
6.30: Cover Story: concert by Blondel – shawms, sackbut, recorders and bagpipes – 2 hours. Tickets £18/£14 under 12s free
Sun 15: The Sun King’s Favourite: music by Lalande (celebrating his 300th anniversary) and Corelli – Ex Cathedra Choir and Baroque Orchestra. 4pm in Birmingham Town Hall. www.excathedra.co.uk
Weds 18: La Decima Musa, or The Tenth Muse: Music from the Golden Age of Venetian Opera, 1650-1660 (Cavalli, Legrenzi, Srozzi, etc) – Musica Antica Rotherhithe in the form of a Venetian theatre band with Camilla Seale (mezzo) and Tristram Cooke (countertenor). 7:30pm, Firth Hall, University of Sheffield. Tickets, £10-£17: www.musicaantica.org.uk
Sat 21: TVEMF workshop for voices and Baroque orchestra: Choruses from the Christmas Oratorio with Philip Thorby in Oxford. www.tvemf.org.uk
Fri 27: Bach, Vivaldi and Haydn – RBC Baroque Orchestra. 6-7pm in the Recital Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire
Sat 28: BMEMF workshop for voices and continuo: Indigenous Latin American Music with El Parnasso in Belmont Abbey, nr Hereford. www.bmemf.org.uk
MARCH
Sun 01: Agrippina’s Betrayal – players of The Hampstead Collective.3.30pm in the Old Bishop’s Palace, WR1 2JD. https://www.earlymusicworcs.org
Sat 07: MEMF workshop for voices and instrument: Schütz: Psalmen Davids with Bill Carslake in Tamworth. www.memf.org.uk
Sat 07: In Darkness Let me Dwell: a commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the death of Dowland – The Minstrels of Melodious Melancholy (4 singers and a lute). 3pm in St Michael’s Church, Discoed, LD8 2NW info@EarlyMusicInTheMarches.com
Tues 10: The King, the Archbishop, a spy and the English Exiles: music by Byrd, Bull, Dering and Philips with stories about accusations of spying, plotteing against the king and travels around C17th Europe – the Choir of Royal Holloway.7.30pm in St Mary’s Church, Warwick with pre-concert talk ‘Behind the music’ at 6.45. www.leamingtonmusic.org
Fri 13: Musicians Strike Up! All the Instruments of the Famous Luttrell Psalter – de Mowbray’s Musicke in concert. 7 pm in Dronfield Hall Barn, High Street, Dronfield, S18 1PX.
Sat 14: As above: 7.30 in Ordsall Parish Hall, Church Lane, Ordsall, Retford, DN22 7ZJ. Details at http://promoters.liveandlocal.org.uk/QuickGuide.cfm
Sat 14: Sacred Music: music by Byrd, Gesualdo, Gibbons, Lotti, Phinot, Tallis & Victoria) and readings. – Birmingham Bach Choir with Archbishop Bernard Longley. 7pm in St Chad’s Cathedral, Birmingham. See advert above www.birmingham.bachchoir.com or bbchoir.tickets@gmail.com
Tues 17:The Garden of Love – Le Jeune (C16th), Whitacre. Palestrina & a world premiere) – Ex Cathedra Scholars Ensemble. 7pm in the Justham Auditorium, CBSO Centre, Birmingham. www.excathedra.co.uk
Sat 21: Adriano Banchieri’s Festino nella sera del giove di grasso avanti cena (a madrigal comedy) – Sinfonia Chorale. 6-8.30 pm in St Jude’s Church, Mapperley, Nottingham. Includes welcome drink and hot buffet. www.sinfoniachorale.uk See poster on page?
Sat 21: Pied Piper: A Celebration of David Munrow – a special day of events honouring his life, brilliance, and lasting influence, in Pembroke College, Cambridge.
Featuring panel discussions throughout the day and concerts by the English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble and others at 3pm and 6.30.
Tickets are available for the full day, or for the individual concerts: David-Munrow-Day – Event listing – Cambridge Early Music
Tues 24: JS Bach: St Matthew Passion – Armonico. 7pm in Malvern Theatres. www.armonico.org.uk
Sun 22: 1776 And All That! – Fiori Musicali. 6pm in Sulgrave Manor, Northamptonshire, OX17 2SD https://fiori-musicali.com
Thurs 26: JS Bach St Matthew Passion – Armonico. 7pm in Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick www.armonico.org.uk
Sat 28: Thrones in Harmony: Handel, Corelli and Mozart – Royal Leamington Spa Bach Choir. 7.30 in All Saints Church, Royal Leamington Spa. www.rlsbc.org
APRIL
Weds 01: Pergolesi: Stabat Mater – The Girl Choristers of the Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick with the Beauchamp Quartet. 5.30 in St Mary’s. https://www.stmaryswarwick.org.uk Music at St Mary’s 01926 403940
Fri 03: St John Passion + chorale preludes, motets, readings and communal hymns. – Ex Cathedra Choir and Baroque Orchestra. 2pm in Symphony Hall, Birmingham. www.excathedra.co.uk
Fri 03: Stainer Crucifixion– Coventry Cathedral Chorus.6pm in Coventry Cathedral. tickets@coventrycathedralchorus.com or 01676 532436
Fri 03: Music Before Easter – Fiori Musicali. 6pm in Lamport Church, near Northampton, NN6 9HB. https://fiori-musicali.com
Sat 04: SRP Playing Day with Anna Stegmann. 10.30 – 4.30 at Cotteridge Quaker Meeting House, Birmingham, B301JB Small car park or 5 mins walk from Kings Norton Station. https://www.srp.org.uk/birmingham
Sat 11: Charpentier – BMEMF Workshop with Ali Kinder. 10-4.30 in Ludlow
Thurs 16: The Choral Pilgrimage – the Sixteen. 7.30 in Southwell Minster. www.thesixteen.com
Sat 18: “Composers of the English Reformation”, MEMF workshop for voices with Katy Silverman in Harborne, Birmingham
Sat 18: Heaven and Earth – Northwick Baroque. 7pm at Linton St Mary, Herefordshire. Free with retiring collection. Details at https://www.facebook.com/northwickearlymusic
Sat 18: Harmonies of Heaven and Earth: a sequence of great music – Luminatus Ensemble. 7.30 in St Mary de Castro, Leicester. See ad on p? https://www.continuoconnect.com/artists/luminatus-ensemble
Sun 19: Bach: Brandenburg Concertos 3-6 – Musical and Amicable Society. 3.30 in Henry Sandon Hall, Worcester. www.earlymusicworcs.org
Sat 25: The Garden of Love – Le Jeune (C16th), Whitacre. Palestrina & a world premiere) – Ex Cathedra Scholars Ensemble. 7pm in St Peter’s Collegiate Church, Wolverhampton www.excathedra.co.uk
Sat 25: Hildegard & the Birds – Fiori Musicali. 6pm in Ashby St.Ledger’s Church, Rugby. https://fiori-musicali.com
Sat 25: Mid-Shires’ Quires’ Day – Byfield Village Hallhttps://immanuelsground.com
MAY
Sat 02: MEMF workshop for voices and instruments; ÌA La Battalla! with Greg Skidmore & Sue Addison in Lincoln.
Fri 08 – Sun 10: Bristol Early Music Festival includes concerts by the English WindConsort (Renaissance), Chelys + Fair Oriana, Leah Stuttard & Jeremy Avis (medieval) and Baroque Orchestra with Festival Chorus. Also a Loud Winds Bash, Workshops for Elementary Recorder Ensemble, Viols and Recorders and Baroque Dance. https://www.bristolearlymusicfestival.uk/
Mon 11 – Sat 23: Chipping Campden Music Festival https://www.campdenmayfestivals.co.uk/music/events
- Mon 11: Music of the Sistine Chapel – The Tallis Scholars. 7 pm in St James’ Church
- Fri 15: Benjamin Baker (violin) plays Bach.6.30 in St James’ Church.
- Sat 16 : Gibbons and contemporary music performed by Iestyn Davies and Fretwork Consort of Viols . 7pm in St James’Church
- Mon 18: Brandenburg Concertos 1-6 performed by Florilegium. 6.30 in St James’Church.
Thurs 19: Telemann’s Flute: includes music by Handel, Purcell and Bach – Armonico with Eva Caballero (flute) and Hannah Fraser Mackenzie (sop).
7.30 in the Court House, Warwick. www.armonico.org.uk
Fri 20: Telemann’s Flute – as above.7.30 in Great Malvern Priory.
Wed 27: JS Bach: Greatest Hits of 1726 – Solomon’s Knot. 7.30 in the Elgar Concert Hall. Bramall, Birmingham University. www.barber.org.uk
Sat 30 – 02 June: Handel’s Orlando. 4pm at the Longborough Festival Opera. Features the Academy of Ancient Music. www.lfo.org.uk
JUNE
Sun 14: Henry Purcell’s King Arthur – Armonico Consort + Baroque orchestra. 7.30 in Malvern Theatres. www.malvern-theatres.co.uk
Thurs 18: Henry Purcell’s King Arthur – Armonico consort + baroque orchestra. 7.30 in St.Mary’s Church, Warwick. www.armonico.org.uk
Sat 20: The Colossal Baroque – MEMF workshop for voices and instruments with Dr Stephen Bullamore in St Mary Magdalene Church, Newark-on-Trent, Notts. Music, subject to confirmation, to include large scale works for voices, strings, wind and brass at pitch A=440 by Giovanni Gabrieli (Venice), Heinrich Schütz (Dresden), Orazio Benevoli (Rome), Heinrich Biber (Salzburg), M.A Charpentier (Paris)
Tues 25: Henry Purcell’s King Arthur – Armonico Consort + Baroque orchestra. 7.30 in Wyke Manor, Pershore. www.armonico.org.uk
Sat 27: Coffee Concert – Northwick Consort. 11am in St Michael and All Angels, Ledbury (coffee and cakes from 10.30). Details at https://www.facebook.com/northwickearlymusic
#Online Music and Talks
Continuo Connect is the Continuo Foundation‘s digital initiative, and along with early music concert listings round the country and artist profiles, it has editorial features on early music and musicians. On their website, click on Features for interviews, playlists and insightful essays and sign up for the twice monthly Newsletter
A reminder about Jamulus, first set up during Covid Lockdown for singing and playing together over the internet. A small group still sing regularly on line using Jamulus software which synchronises the delay times and where one can balance the volumes of all the others singing.
They usually meet on Monday and Friday evenings and sing Renaissance sacred and secular music from their own Drive or from CPDL and sing one to a part selecting music to suit their voices at the time. Reasonable sight reading ability and a good internet connection are essential. At present they are SSATTB so another Alto and Bass would be particularly welcome. If you are interested please contact Keith Hitchcock: keith.hitchcock1@gmail.com or ring 0121 355 8247
There is more about Jamulus, including links to further information, on the early music online page. Click here and scroll down to Technology.
Early Music Sources – a reminder of the wonderful series of illustrated talks by Elam Rotem, the latest being about Early Basso Continuo, to be found on YouTube at https://www.earlymusicsources.com/youtube
Sands Film studio is a Theatre, Cinema and Music Room. They developed live streaming during the Pandemic and have continued with a mixture of live and online concerts, many of them Early Music, films and theatre. All performances are free, but donations are requested. Sign up to their mailing list at https://www.sandsfilms.co.uk/cinema-club.html
The Following have many videos on YouTube:
Stile Antico – https://www.youtube.com/user/stileantico
Armonico Consort https://ondemand.armonico.org.uk
The Gesualdo Six https://www.thegesualdosix.co.uk/videos/
I Fagiolini https://www.youtube.com/c/IFagiolini/videos
Fretwork Viol Consort https://www.fretwork.co.uk/audio-video
The Academy of Ancient Music https://aam.co.uk/watch/
Wigmore Hall has an archive of live streamed concerts at https://wigmore-hall.org.uk/watch-listen/forthcoming-live-streams Occasionally new ones appear on a Monday morning if you’re signed up. Free but donations requested.
City Lit offers an extensive programme of online music history and music appreciation courses with a focus on Western classical music, Folk, Jazz, Rock and Pop, also many singing courses, There are new topics each year, some of them Early Music: https://www.citylit.ac.uk
Choral Chihuahua regular new episodes since the last Newsletter of chats between Robert Hollingworth and Eamonn Dougan and recently Nicholas Mulroy, about an hour long. Find the latest (and previous) episodes at https://play.acast.com/s/choral-chihuahua. Free but donations requested.