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 2025
Weds 12: Chansons d’Amour – by arrangement. Ex Cathedra Scholars Ensemble perform love songs from Monteverdi’s sensual madrigals to some of your favourite hits from recent decades. 7-9 pm in the Jennifer Blackwell Performance Space in Birmingham’s Symphony Hall. www.excathedra.co.uk
Thurs 13: # Palestrina 500 and the Glories of Rome – SEMF illustrated zoom talk by Patrick Craig. www.semf.org.uk
Sat 22: Henry Purcell TVEMF Workshop with Benjamin Nicholas in Keble College Chapel, Oxford. Park & Ride bus stop opposite. www.tvemf.org.uk
Sat 22 – Sun 23: Gloriana Living History and Historical Dance in the Commandery, Tudor House, Greyfriars and Cathedral Square from 10am.
Tues 25: The Madrigal Reimagined: Exploring the Blossoming and Transformation of the Italian Madrigal (Rore, Palestrina, Bovicelli, Monteverdi, etc) – Monteverdi String Band. 7.30 in St Mary’s Church, Warwick. www.leamintonmusic.org
#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
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.