Ceremonies of Carols: A Celebration of Britten and the Baroque

Benjamin Britten's A Ceremony of Carols, composed in 1942 for upper voices and harp, creates an imagined service of seasonal hymns, songs, and carols from the late Middle Ages, weaving texts that are at times joyful, melancholic, wistful, and longing with music that is profoundly modern in outlook even as it evokes centuries long gone by.

As a primarily upper-voice ensemble as interested in the history of historical re-enactment as we are with re-enactment itself, we will be taking inspiration from Britten's blending of texts from different eras and styles with repertoire as unfamiliar now as Britten's medieval texts were then.

In the first half of the concert, we will be using music from English convents in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries to recreate the Christmas ceremonies of a different age, exploring the range of emotions that accompany the birth of Christ, from awe and wonder to joy to the knowledge of sadness that the Nativity story necessitates.

The programme will include readings from life-writing of exiled English nuns describing secular rituals, liturgies, and other memories of Advent and Christmas at the convents, before a complete performance of Britten's timeless classic.

The Basilinda Consort is an early music ensemble dedicated to exploring the musical lives of English Christian women religious. Focused on exiled English convent music, we explore the rich history of medieval and early modern English women as singers, players, composers, commentators, writers, and even bookbinders.