Music for a Midsummer's Eve, with the Gesualdo Six

Mark the high point of summer with drinks reception in the gardens of Holdenby House, and a concert in the stunning Holdenby Church

By The Holdenby Church Organ Restoration Fund

Date and time

Fri, 7 Jun 2024 18:15 - 21:00 GMT+1

Location

All Saints Church, Holdenby

All Saints Church, Holdenby Holdenby NN6 8DJ United Kingdom

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Agenda

6:15 PM - 7:15 PM

Drinks Reception in the gardens of Holdenby House

7:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Concert at Holdenby Church

About this event

  • 2 hours 45 minutes

Music for a Midsummer's Eve, with the Gesualdo Six

ABOUT THE RECEPTION (6:15pm)

Set your satnav for "Holdenby House" and follow the signs for parking.

You can then walk through to the gardens where we'll be hosting a pre-concert drinks reception.

From there it's just a brief walk to Holdenby Church for the concert.


ABOUT THE CONCERT (7:30pm)

FADING

Evoking a contemplative atmosphere with music inspired by the ancient service of compline

Since the fourth century, the service of Compline has marked the end of the day, ushering in the darkness of the night. Much of the music here is inspired by this ancient service, evoking a contemplative atmosphere, including renaissance polyphony by Lobo, Sheppard and Palestrina that contains startling harmonic shifts and expressive word painting. Then there is a turning point; the light returns, birds sing, and flowers bloom once more, with contemporary reflections by Veljo Tormis, Joanna Marsh, and Sarah Rimkus.

Thomas Tallis Te lucis ante terminum

John Sheppard In pace, in idipsum

Alonso Lobo Versa est in luctum

Donna McKevitt Lumen (Nunc Dimittis)

Jonathan Seers Look down, O Lord

William Byrd Teach me, O Lord (Psalm 119)

Hildegard von Bingen O Ecclesia, oculi tui

Owain Park Phos hilaron

Carlo Gesualdo Tenebrae factae sunt (from ‘Tenebrae Responsories’)

Joanna Marsh Fading

Veljo Tormis Marjal aega magada

Gerda Blok-Wilson O Little Rose, O Dark Rose

Sarah Rimkus My heart is like a singing bird

Josef Rheinberger Abendlied

Approximate duration 1 hour 10 minutes


ABOUT THE GESUALDO SIX

“Ingeniously programmed and impeccably delivered, with that undefinable excitement that comes from a group of musicians working absolutely as one.” – Gramophone

The Gesualdo Six is an award-winning British vocal ensemble comprising some of the UK’s finest consort singers, directed by Owain Park. Praised for their imaginative programming and impeccable blend, the ensemble formed in 2014 for a performance of Gesualdo’s Tenebrae Responsories in Cambridge and has gone on to perform at numerous major festivals across the UK, Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.

“Their sound seemed to float in mid-air before reaching the ears of the rapt audience… every line, every gorgeous texture was radiantly clear.” – The Times




Organised by

The Holdenby Church Organ Restoration Fund

The 14th century church of All Saints’, Holdenby, stands in stony solitude in the middle of pristine Northamptonshire countryside. Looming above it just a stone’s throw away is Holdenby House, the palace and prison of Charles I, and one of the country’s great Elizabethan houses.

Inside the church is a rather special pipe organ. It was constructed in 1874/75, just a few years after Sir George Gilbert Scott’s restoration of the church fabric. There was some further work in 1888, making it rather remarkable for its unaltered state.

The late 19th century is seen as the golden age for English organ building, and the Holdenby church organ is a very fine example of this. Its exceptional build quality shines through to this day, if somewhat faded, both audibly and visually.

Since 2016, the local community has been working hard to fundraise for this amazing instrument’s restoration. To date, we have raised £60,000 of our £95,000 target. With inflation driving up prices of restoration work, we are hoping to sprint to the finish line in 2024.

The idea isn't simply to repair a worn-down instrument, but to give a new raison d'être to the building itself: bringing it into the fold of Holdenby’s nationally renowned education programme, and giving it a central place in the musical life of the town and county of Northamptonshire.