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An English History of Christmas
Following a successful Summer tour bringing hundreds of years of French music to audiences in just one hour, Countertenor Joe Levy returns with another bitesize concert in time for Christmas!
Experience ‘An English History of Christmas’ in select venues in the South West for a concert series that explores Christmas traditions in England from the Medieval period right through to the 20th Century. Not only will you hear pieces performed from each period, but you will learn how the festivities we’re familiar with today came to be.
Joe is once again joined by accompanist Peter Adcock on the piano, as they bring to life everything from familiar carols to lesser known works.
With concert dates at the end of November and the very beginning of December, this is the perfect way to start your Christmas season!
Exeter (St Nicholas’ Priory) – 24th November, 7.30pm
Bath (Burdall’s Yard) – 25th November, 7.30pm
Castle Cary (The Market House) – 1st December, 7.30pm
Exeter (Emmanuel Hall) – 9th December, 7.30pm
More concert dates will be scheduled soon! Sign up to Joe’s mailing list below to find out about future concert dates. Simply type your email address and hit enter to keep up to date!
Past Concerts
Queer Baroque
In celebration of Pride month 2023, countertenor Joe Levy explores the relationship between Classical music and the LGBTQIA+ community with ‘Queer Baroque’. Accompanied on the piano by Peter Adcock, Joe is performing two concerts at St Nicholas’ Priory, Exeter’s oldest building, on 9th and 23d June 2023 at 7.30pm.
With a focus on the Baroque period, the concerts will reveal not only queer composers of the time (Handel, Lully), but also how music from other artists have become part of LGBTQIA+ history and culture. Baroque culture can often challenge our understanding of historical attitudes towards gender and sexuality, whether that be through fashion or through the personal histories of people at the time. ‘Queer Baroque’ will attempt to illuminate this, providing valuable insight on how we can celebrate queer artists and their contribution to society today.
Summer 2023 – An Hour In France
An Hour In France takes you on a musical journey across a country with a rich and complex musical history. Countertenor Joe Levy is accompanied by acclaimed pianist Peter Adcock for a series of concerts that explores the classical tradition of French music and how it evolved between the Late Medieval period and the 20th Century.
What’s more, all this takes place within one hour, providing audiences with a lively snapshot view of French classical music that contains plenty of surprises.
From the Baroque decadence of Lully, to the romantic lullabies of Faure, familiar melodies will be set among lesser known works, each telling a different story. Some recount lost love in the Renaissance era, while others are imbued by the legacy of the colonial era and the industrial revolution.
Joe’s performances go beyond performing the pieces and into the realm of history and storytelling, so you will have the chance to not only learn about the music you hear, but also the social history in which these songs are set.
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.