Ensemble 1604

Programme 1 - Shadows that in darkness dwell

(full ensemble, 70 minutes, no interval)

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• …shadows that in darkness dwell… Flow, Fled, Darkness - Timothy Cooper

• Whose Heavenly Touch - Timothy Cooper

• Labyrinth - Timothy Cooper

• Flow My Tears - John Dowland

• The Narrow Way - Timothy Cooper

• Semper Melancholia - Timothy Cooper

 

A live performance of Ensemble 1604's most recent album. This show features compositions specifically written for the group by composer, Timothy Cooper, and uses fragments and inspiration from Dowland's vocal and instrumental music throughout. Want a preview? Stream the whole album on spotify now.

 

 

Programme 2 - In C

(flexible ensemble from 3 players upwards, length can vary from 30 - 90 minutes, no interval)

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• In Nomine - William Byrd

• In C - Terry Riley

 

In this programme you will hear two works that harmonically centre or circle around the note C. Byrd’s In Nomine is a beautiful piece with delicately weaving melodies that sound stunning on this combination of instruments. It acts as the perfect prelude for Terry Riley’s minimalist classic.

 

Our approach to Riley’s work brings the poise and playfulness of early music performance to this joyful work, with live electronics providing a shimmering rhythmic bed, and elegant drones. Made up of 53 small melodic ideas a performance of in C is a slow reading through of these where we languish on each phrase. The performance slowly evolves as each of us takes the lead to push forwards at different times.

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Programme 3 - Conversing with the past

(instrumentalists, 60 minute with no interval, or 2 x 30-40 minute slots)

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• Aria di Fiorenza/Ballo del Granduca: Anon/Emilio de’ Cavalieri (1550-1602)

• Romanesca - Biagio Marini (1594-1663)

• Toccata nona - Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger (1580-1651)

• Odi Euterpe - Giulio Caccini (1551-1618)

• Love’s Farewell & Tobacco - Tobias Hume (c.1579-1645) 

• Uppon La Mi Re - Anon. Attributed to Thomas Preston (died c.1563)

• Goe Nightly Cares - John Dowland (c.1563-1626)

• Whose Heavenly Touch - Timothy Cooper

• Sinfonia prima - Marco Uccellini (1603-1680)

• Sonata seconda - Giovanni Battista Fontana (c.1580/89-c.1630)

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Journey with us through dance and song, and experience our ensemble in musical dialogue, conversing on the topics of love and loss, and exploring the sensibilities of Renaissance Italy and England.