Renaissance Singing Day with Robert Hollingworth

Saturday 12th April 2025

10.30am - 4.30pm, St James's United Reformed Church, Northumberland Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 8JF

Registration from 10am.

We're delighted to be working in partnership with the North East Early Music Forum to host our Renaissance Singing Day with Robert Hollingworth!

Join us for a day exploring familiar and unknown music to encircle Palm Sunday from four well-known composers - and one unfamiliar. Pomponio Nenna was a contemporary of Gesualdo's and his music twists and turns, its beautifully crafted take embodying the anguish of Holy week (or is it just his modernist perspective?). Victoria's Tenebrae are more modest but staggeringly effective (listen to I Fagiolini's recent recording here). We catch Gibbons in exultant mood for Palm Sunday itself, while only Byrd could bring such ecstasy and vigour to an Easter Day motet, the forces of life and death ('mors et vita duello') facing off in a battle between altos and tenors.

Repertoire will be provided on the day and includes:

About Robert Hollingworth

Aside from his award-winning work with I Fagiolini, Robert is a conductor, broadcaster, educator, editor, Monteverdi specialist and festival director. Robert founded "musical shapeshifters" I Fagiolini in 1986 to share his love of vocal music - the group will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2026 and has performed its signature projects around the world on stage, online, on radio and tv "following [his] giddy, eclectic imagination wherever it leads" (The Spectator). Robert has spent much of his life considering how audiences receive music, instead of just how performers want to deliver it.

Robert is Artistic Director for Stour Music Festival, Festival Director for the newly created 'Fairest Isle Festival' on the Isle of Wight and Reader in Music at the University of York where he directs two choirs and the UK's only MA in Solo-Voice Ensemble Singing. Aside from recording work with I Fagiolini, Robert is co-director for De Profundis' Morales Project in collaboration with Eamonn Dougan. The project is an ambitious 12-album series of Morales' complete Masses and Magnificats for Hyperion, the first of which won a Diapason d'Or - Gramophone notes "We can feel confident that the future of this bold project is in the best possible hands".

Robert has written and presented programmes on BBC Radio 3 and more recently created over 30 episodes of the YouTube choral series SingTheScore as well as founding and co-presenting the UK's top choral podcast series, Choral Chihuahua, with Eamonn Dougan and Nicholas Mulroy, now in its sixth season.

Getting to the venue

St James's United Reformed Church is easily accessible by both car or public transport. There are public car parks nearby (off Durant Road or John Dobson Street) or alternatively the Church is a short walk from bus stops at Haymarket Bus Station or Eldon Square Bus Station. The nearest metro station is Haymarket . Find out more information about getting to the Church here.

Accessibility

There is a permanent shallow ramp leading up to the main entrance. Once inside, the Church has level access throughout and there are disabled toilets in the venue. There is a hearing loop in the Church. There is limited parking in the side lane next to the Church for blue badge holders. Please let Elisabeth Brierley, abcd Training Manager: elisabeth.brierley@abcd.org.uk, know in advance if you have any access requirements.

Tickets

£25 for non-members

£20 for abcd and NEEMF members (abcd members - please login to your account before booking in order to receive the discounted rate)

£22.50 for groups of 6+ singers

£5 for students

To arrange payment by invoice, or by cheque, please contact Elisabeth Brierley: elisabeth.brierley@abcd.org.uk

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