The English Concert performs Handel – January 2, 2022 LiveEvents December 31, 2021 1219 Wigmore Hall presents The English Concert Chiara Skerath soprano; Jonathan McGovern baritone The renowned period-instrument ensemble and its artistic director perform two vocal works by Handel, with an acclaimed soprano the soloist in the motet Silete venti, written in London around 1723-5, joined by a rising star baritone for the cantata Apollo e Dafne, probably begun in Venice in 1709 and completed in Hanover the following year. The English Concert is an outstanding orchestra: exceptional, in the world-renowned quality, ambition and variety of its live and recorded output; unique, in the zeal of its players for working and performing together; unwavering, in its desire to connect with its audience throughout the world. Under the artistic direction of Harry Bicket, The English Concert has earned a reputation for combining urgency, passion and fire with precision, delicacy and beauty. ‘The English Concert were nothing short of brilliant. Sporting perfectly tight ensemble, spacious and ringing tone, a variety of colors, gleaming strings and clean, forceful brass, they are the model of a period chamber orchestra in every sense.’ One cornerstone of the orchestra’s annual cycle is its international Handel Opera tour. Blossoming from an ongoing relationship with Carnegie Hall, the itinerary now regularly takes in the Theater an der Wien, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, the Elbphilharmonie and Barbican Hall, and the roster of great halls continues to grow. The English Concert Harry Bicket director, harpsichord Chiara Skerath soprano Jonathan McGovern baritone Nadja Zwiener violin Alice Evans violin Julia Kuhn violin Elizabeth MacCarthy violin Sijie Chen violin Alfonso Leal del Ojo viola Joseph Crouch cello Jonathan Byers cello Carina Cosgrave bass Sergio Bucheli theorbo Lisa Beznosiuk flute Katharina Spreckelsen oboe Hannah McLaughlin oboe Katrin Lazar bassoon Program George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) Concerto Grosso in D Op. 6 No. 5 HWV323 Silete venti HWV242 Apollo e Dafne HWV122 Sunday, January 2, 2022 Live stream starts at 3:00pm EST The video will be available on demand for 30 days after the date of the broadcast. To enjoy this concert visit: www.wigmore-hall.org.uk
