Winter 2022/23 – Cold and Magic: Winter Baroque

‘Cold and Magic: Winter Baroque’ invited audiences to experience the music of 17th and 18th Century Europe, with a distinctly icy and mysterious tone. Countertenor Joe Levy was accompanied on the piano by Leila Kermani, for a selection of Baroque pieces, including the works of Handel, Purcell, Bach and Vivaldi, alongside lesser known composers such as Lambert and Grandi.

Storytelling is an essential part of how we experience Winter, and has been for the span of human history. Joe intertwined music and storytelling to give insight into the tales Baroque composers were trying to tell and to perhaps glean an understanding of European winters during the 17th and 18th Centuries. Some stories warn of the physical danger of dark and cold, others tell of mystery and magic, while many more serve to distract with drama, love and sorrow. 

In a period of history often portrayed as elegant and restrained, ‘Cold and Magic’ exposed. a different, more intriguing face of the Baroque world.

Summer 2022 – Cast A Sheep’s Eye

Accompanied on the piano by conductor Konstantinos Terzakis, Joe explored the world of 16th and 17th Century English love songs. The tour visited historic venues across Devon and Somerset, such as Exeter’s ancient St Nicholas’ Priory, Taunton’s iconic Minster and Ashburton’s elegant St Lawrence Chapel.

Find out more about the tour, and watch a full performance here.