Canowindra's third annual festival of baroque music is shaping up to be huge success with on-line festival packages and individual concert tickets selling strongly.
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Baroque music, composed in Europe and England from 1600 to 1750 is experiencing a tremendous regrowth in popularity and, said Baroquefest's chairman Richard Statham, "Baroquefest is the only music festival of the genre in NSW, so Canowindra hangs its hat on the baroque 'brand'.
Of course the overlap into the romantic and classical eras gives the artistic director great flexibility".
As someone said, "elements of the baroque can even be heard in jazz!"
Baroquefest's glamorous patron Marian Arnold, for more than 30 years a producer/presenter on ABC Classic FM radio, will open the festival concurrently with the Canowindra Arts' exhibition at Tommy Jeff's Montrose House at 5 pm on Friday October 13. Australia's leading acapela group, Sydney based, The Song Company will lift the roof off Canowindra's famous All Saints Church from 7.30 following the art show opening. The Song Company is celebrating the 450th anniversary of the birth of Claudio Monteverdi with three of his finest vocal masterpieces. 16th and 17th century music by English maestri Henry Purcell and Robert White will also be presented.
The full Baroquefest program with five concerts over the three days can be seen at www.baroquefest.org.au which includes a link to O-tix for on-line ticket sales. There is a range of platinum, gold, silver and bronze packages and individual concert tickets on offer from $40 per concert. Other musicians and ensembles performing include The Academy Singers conducted by Dr Paul Terracini, international virtuoso baroque violinist Rachael Beesley, The Limestone Consort and the Muffat Collective. The last two will play respectively during a Sunday lunch at the Wallington winery and evening baroque themed dinner at the Rosnay winery with harpsichord and a gut-stringed violin playing 17th century sonatas.
Thanks are due to Australia Council of the Arts, Musica Viva, ArtsOutWest, Orange Regional Arts Foundation and Cabonne Council for their funding assistance
Seating at All Saints is limited to 180 people and the other venues are smaller so if you're interested, do book early as the festival is attracting bookings from Sydney, Canberra and elsewhere.