10th Sligo Festival of

BAROQUE MUSIC
28-31 oCTOBER

      
       
   
 
 
 
 
 
“The best line-up of Baroque music the country has ever seen……a truly extraordinary weekend”   
    
- The Irish Times
   
Welcome to this, the 10th Sligo Festival of Baroque Music. I hope that everything will combine to make it a thoroughly enjoyable, exciting and memorable weekend for performers and audience.    
   
   
The Festival first grew out of the activities of Sligo Early Music Ensemble (founded 1990), when members of the Ensemble undertook all of the organisation and catering for the first festival, which took place in the un-refurbished Model Arts Centre. 10 years later the festival has grown into a professional organisation but one whose original aims remain largely the same: to produce a festival programme that is both coherent and varied; to include a combination of performers based in Ireland and those from abroad, and to highlight artists with an established international reputation as well as young musicians at the outset of their careers.  We still place the same emphasis on the creation of a special festival atmosphere as we did in our first years; one which will encourage music-making of the highest quality and maximum enjoyment for the audience.
   

This year’s programme takes as its focus the music of the Court of Louis XIV in France and includes works by Charpentier, de la Guerre, J.M. Leclair, F Couperin, P. Philidor and  J Ph Rameau.  The focus is perhaps most strikingly represented in the programme by harpsichordist Carole Cerasi playing the music of Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre; one of the rare female composers of the period and sopranos Julia Gooding and Mhairi Lawson performing Charpentier’s Lecons de Tenebres.  The latter is sure to be a festival highlight performed as it should be, in the atmospheric surroundings of Calry Church .  The programme features sacred music asks for a candlelit setting, a mood that will continue through to the sumptuous candlelit supper which immediately follows.

 		    
   
For those who enjoy Baroque music, but feel they would like to understand a little more, we introduce a new element to the programme; Baroque in focus which this years features a talk from Carole Cerasi on Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre and a workshop from Harpsichord maker Robert Deegan who will give an introduction to the instrument, and deal with trouble-shooting and harpsichord maintenance.  All Baroque in Focus events are free.    
   
Another new element to the programme for 2005 is an invitation for the audience to perform!  Baroque violinist, Claire Duff, will coach a chamber orchestra at several free sessions over the weekend, and will then lead and direct the orchestra in a performance on Monday 1.00pm. This is a fantastic opportunity for any musicians who want to learn more about style and interpretation in the performance of Baroque music.  If you would like to take part talk to the Box Office or see the programme for more details.    
       

As always, we would welcome your comments and suggestions on how we might improve the Festival. I look forward to meeting you over the weekend.

Rod Alston

Artistic Director