Manchester Baroque is back and even bigger! Expanding on last year, the 2023/24 season will feature nine concerts, eight in their home city of Manchester and one in Leeds. It will also be rising to the challenge of their first performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion in partnership with Manchester Cathedral.
The programme begins at the Manchester Medieval Quarter Festival with a concert at the Carole Nash Hall, Stoller Hall on 23rd September. This is followed by the first ‘Intimate Notes’ concert of the season – a chance to get up close and personal to the historical instruments at St. Ann’s Church, Central Manchester on 18th November. This concert also sees the launch of the new Fellowship scheme, supporting young musicians in Manchester as they begin their careers in historical performance.
On 9th December Manchester Baroque will be back at Manchester Cathedral for their fourth annual performance of Handel’s Messiah with Manchester Cathedral Choir, in the Cathedral conducted by the Master of the Choristers, Christopher Stokes and led by Artistic Director, Dr Pauline Nobes.
Manchester Baroque starts the new year on 17th February with a concert from their series ‘Musick in Manchester 1744/45’ a reconstruction of Manchester’s first ever concert season, based on original research by Artistic Director Dr Pauline Nobes.
On Good Friday, 29th March, Manchester Baroque will be giving their first performance of one of the greatest pieces of Baroque music ever written – Bach's St Matthew Passion. They are excited to take on this challenge with a double choir and orchestra for their annual performance on Good Friday in partnership with the instrumentalists and choristers at Manchester Cathedral.
There is a second instalment of the chamber music series 'Intimate Notes' on 11th May at St Ann's focusing on early Baroque repertoire featuring the exquisite Viola da Gamba.
On 15th June, Manchester Baroque present ‘Queens of the Baroque’ which centres around Handel’s well known ‘The Arrival of The Queen of Sheba’ at Manchester Cathedral before heading to Leeds Minister for a collaboration with the St Peter's Singers on 29th June.
The season closes with 'Summer Vivaldi' on 20th July which celebrates music housed in the Henry Watson Music Library, Manchester Central Library including the Manchester version of Vivaldi's famous 'Summer' from The Four Seasons. Manchester Baroque will also be joined by the Manchester Cathedral Choristers to round off the season with Vivaldi's uplifting 'Gloria.'
Tickets for all the Manchester concerts can be found on Eventbrite via www.manchesterbaroque.co.uk.