Christ Church Cathedral invites you to ring in the new year old-school – 17th-century Italian-school to be more precise. The composers Nicola Porpora, Francesco Durante, and Alessandro Scarlatti may not be household names anymore, but in their own time, they were extremely well-regarded as teachers, performers, and instrumentalists. Among their students were composer Franz Joseph Haydn and castrato Farinelli (famously portrayed in the 1994 biopic starring Stefano Dionisi).
Violinist Marc Destrubé leads a group of early music specialists performing on original and reproduction baroque instruments. They will be joined by local singers Nathan MacDonald, Adam Dyjach, Cassidy Stahr, and Isolde Welby for an hour of Christmas music from baroque Naples.
“The purpose of this annual concert has always been to present some beautiful music for free on New Year’s Day,” says Director of Music, Donald Hunt. “If you’ve never heard live baroque music before, I would encourage you to come and soak it in in our beautiful space. There’s nothing like experiencing ‘old music’ when it’s brought to life by talented musicians and singers.”
This concert will be immediately followed by Choral Evensong at 4pm.
The Music:
Nicola Porpora (1686-1768): 'Simfonie en trio’ in G Major, Op. 2, No. 1
Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725): Cantata Non sò qual più m’ingombra
Francesco Durante (1684-1755) - ‘Messa in Pastorale’
The Musicians:
Isolde Welby, soprano
Cassidy Stahr, alto
Adam Dyjach, tenor
Nathan McDonald, baritone
Marc Destrubé & Kathryn Wiebe, violin
Natalie Mackie, viola da gamba
Christina Hutten, organ
Presented in partnership with the Pacific Baroque Festival.