News

"Exciting music - brilliantly played"

2009 has seen a busy first couple of months. In January we recorded our latest CD - entitled 'Schmelzer & Co', this recording features music from composers who worked at the Imperial court in Austria during the 17th-century. Scheduled for release in the third quarter of 2009, 'Schmelzer & Co' sees violinists Bjarte Eike and Antina Hugosson and cornettist Bruce Dickey join the core members in a dazzling display of red-blooded virtuosity and extravagance. See us in action on our Gallery page.

In February we formalised proceedings with the creation of The Caecilia-Concert Foundation. This will enable us to continue researching, performing and recording exciting programmes with world-class artists. Anybody can become a supporter and for just €30 receive a free CD.

February also saw the Caecilia-Concert on stage with our programme 'The Venice of the North' at the famous Musicum Sacrum in Arnhem. Joined by violinist Veronika Skuplik, cornettist Judith Pacquier and soprano Orlanda Velez Isidro, this programme included, among other things, beautiful cantatas by Buxtehude.

In March we wil play at the Noorderkerk in Amsterdam. On 21st March we will be joined by violinist Hanneke Wieringa for our programme 'Treasury of a Saint'

Please visit this page again for more information later in the year.

The aspirations of the Caecilia-Concert are to produce historically informed, exciting and innovative performances and all members are involved in academically based research as a way of achieving this. Much of the music performed by us is either virtually unknown or rarely performed and has been obtained from various libraries including the Uppsala University Library, Sweden, The City Libraries of Berlin, and The British Library, London. Programmes are put together based on historical events or influences and performance practice as it might have been at the time of composition reflect our interpretation. This said, using our knowledge about the instruments we know to have been available to the composers we perform and the specific way they were written for, we can also make justifiable substitutions when considering programmes and works and this allows us to present pieces that otherwise may not get performed. We are in the process of making modern performing editions of many works although often the original parts are clear enough to use in performance.