Bassenthwaite Festival

 

It's already ten years since the Bassenthwaite Festival grew from just a single concert to three performances over two days in the two Bassenthwaite churches! The best way we know to mark this is to give pride of place in the programme to the great Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1707), the composer whose music we featured that year and from whom our Ensemble takes its name.

The Festival begins on Friday 3 June with a concert of chamber music in the intimate and beautiful setting of St Bega's Church on the lakeside. The evening will feature sonatas by JS Bach, Buxtehude and Telemann for various combinations of oboe, viola, cello and chamber organ; and on Saturday lunchtime, 4 June, Festival director David Gibbs will give a recital on the main organ at St Bega's of music by our hero Buxtehude, once again, together with works by Franz Tunder, his father-in-law and predecessor at Lubeck, and Nicolaus Bruhns, one of his finest pupils.

Finally on Saturday evening, in the lovely acoustic of St John's Church, Bassenthwaite, we will revisit a ravishing work by Buxtehude that immediately won the hearts of our audience when we last performed it in 2006. Membra Jesu nostri, composed in 1680, is a cycle of seven cantatas, each a highly personal and moving meditation on the figure of the suffering Christ. The evening's programme will also include a mix of gentle and lively choral and solo cantatas by Tunder, and by Johann Rosenmuller who worked in Italy for many years and helped bring Italian musical styles to the north of Europe.

Friday 3 June, 7.30 pm St Bega's Church, Bassenthwaite

Chamber music for oboe, viola, cello and continuo by JS Bach, Buxtehude and Telemann

 

Saturday 4 June, 12.30 pm St Bega's Church, Bassenthwaite

Organ recital - Tunder, Buxtehude, Bruhns

 

Saturday 4 June, 7.30 pm St John's Church, Bassenthwaite

Buxtehude Membra Jesu nostri and cantatas by Tunder and Rosenmuller

for voices, strings and continuo

 

Refreshments and toilet facilities will be available at all concerts.

Tickets (Booking advised as space is limited)

Under-11: free entry to all concerts

Evenings £12 (under-18 £5) Lunchtime £5 (u-18 free)

Festival Pass for all concerts £23 (u-18 £7)

available on the door,

by emailing info@bassfest.org.uk or calling 07849 383727