The theme for 2024 is Connections, and Artistic Director Deborah Roberts says “If we start with the premise that everything is connected, it’s then a question of selecting some musical and cultural connections that have had a major impact in the past, and that have a continuing power to connect with us now.”
Here’s your guide to what’s coming up this autumn in Brighton:
Pre-festival events
Saturday 7 September A workshop on medieval greatest hits for instrumentalists and singers led by Emily Baines.
Saturday 14 September Vocal workshop on 15th-century styles and techniques, for experienced singers, led by Tim Braithwaite of Cappella Pratensis.
Saturday 21 September The Polyphony Crawl – a series of free daytime short performances in and around Brighton by BREMF Consort of Voices.
Saturday 28 September Singer Songwriters Connective – a workshop and performance by Dowland Youth Works.
Wednesday 2 October The Telling Unchained – Popular and informal pub gig with audience participation.
Saturday 5 October OAE TOTS family concerts with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.
Sunday 6 October Choral workshop open to all, including families and community singers. Led by Christopher Monks of the Armonico Consort.
Main Festival events
Friday 11 October The inimitable Red Priest returns to BREMF to open the 2024 Festival with their programme Truly, Madly, Baroque.
Saturday 12 October Musical Meeting Places lunchtime concert with Blondel; followed by Family Connections: The Forgotten Scarlatti – Armonico Consort presents newly discovered works alongside Vivaldi’s iconic Gloria.
Sunday 13 October Origins – a large-scale spectacular bringing together music, dance and stories from India, West Africa & Europe.
Friday 18 October Cappella Pratensis & BREMF Consort of Voices explore music from the 1468 wedding of Margaret of York to Charles the Bold of Burgundy
Saturday 19 October The Malcolm Rose Memorial lunchtime concert given by Flutes & Frets; followed by our BREMF Live Showcase of the latest up and coming talent and the BREMF Live Clubnight in the pub.
Sunday 20 October Hildegard Transfigured 2 – female vocal trio Voice returns to BREMF with a new version of their immersive production featuring music by Hildegard of Bingen and contemporary composers influenced by her, complete with a 21st century lightshow inspired by her visions.
Friday 25 October Smock Alley – Irlandiani explores the musical life of 18th century Dublin, linking Irish traditional music with Italian and Irish Baroque.
Saturday 26 October BREMF Live medieval ensemble Rune performs rarely-heard gems from the 14th century at lunchtime; followed by French Connections – a choral & orchestral concert with the BREMF Players & Baroque Collective Singers including Carissimi’s Jephte and works by Charpentier and Lully.
Sunday 27 October Spanish ensemble Cantoría makes a rare UK appearance with Catherine and Mary: Tudor Queens forever entwined exploring the connected Tudor courts of England and Spain.
A brochure with full details of the autumn 2024 events will be published in June 2024. Make sure you are on our postal mailing list to receive your copy. Tickets will go on sale to members of the BREMF Friends scheme in mid July, and on general sale from early August.