The Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments takes its name and inspiration from a group called La Société des Instruments Anciens which gave ‘historical performances’ in the Salon Pleyel, Paris, circa 1900. They played a collection of what were then considered wildly ‘exotic’ instruments, and to add to the atmosphere of a bygone age, their concerts were usually given by candlelight.
Their programme were a strange mixture of what might now be described as easy-listening Baroque. Choice, single movements were abstracted from instrumental works and the intention was to enthrall the audience with the unusual and fresh presentation of music that would have been largely familiar to them.
This concert gives the audience a glimpse of the beginnings of the early music revival in France and presents the repertoire of our venerable predecessors in candlelight and played on the instruments which were used in the original performances.
The spirit of revolution sweeps through the 2015 Gregynog Festival in a programme which focuses on French music and musicians. International artists making Wales début appearances include mezzo-soprano Stéphanie d’Oustrac (Glyndebourne’s Carmen this season, Gregynog 27 June), harpist Xavier de Maistre (National Museum Cardiff, 12 June), pianist Anne Queffélec (Gregynog, 27 June), Ensemble Variances with pianist Alexander Melnikov (Gregynog, 26 June), harpsichord virtuoso Christophe Rousset with his fine ensemble Les Talens Lyriques (Gregynog, 22 June) and the superb Belgian vocal ensemble Vox Luminis, directed by Lionel Meunier (Montgomery Church, 28 June)..
Our early music concerts are clustered around 18 June: the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. Border towns such as Newtown, Montgomery, Welshpool, Llanfyllin and Oswestry housed significant colonies of Napoleonic prisoners of war on parole during the early nineteenth century and many of these distinguished officers later fought and died at Waterloo.Artists include Fantasticus (Powis Castle Ballroom, 17 June), London Handel Players with French Baroque dance specialists Mary Collins and Steven Player (Montgomery Town Hall, 18 June), Revolutionary Drawing Room with flautist Rachel Brown (Llanfyllin Church, 19 June), harpist Masumi Nagasawa and Ensemble Amarillis (Gregynog, 20 June), Les Folies françoises (Gregynog, 21 June) and fortepianist Kristian Bezuidenhout, ahead of the concert by Les Talens Lyriques (Gregynog, 22 June). We also visit the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth (13 June) with pianist Iwan Llewelyn-Jones and the Escher String Quartet to explore the fascinating story of the forgotten Aberystwyth Conservatoire which was staffed entirely by French musicians.
Founded in 1933, Gregynog Festival is Wales’ oldest extant classical music festival and brings the world’s finest musicians to the heart of rural Montgomeryshire. Gregynog Festival is a Signature Event of the Welsh Government and the only Welsh member of REMA, the European Early Music Network.