Mediaeval Baebes bring 25th Anniversary Celebration Tour to Horsham
Monday 20th December
St Mary’s Church, Horsham
Celebrating their 25th Anniversary year in true Mediaeval Baebes style; the classical chart-topping choir will be weaving its story-telling magic once again this Christmas. Traditionally a time for reflection and celebration; tickets for this remarkable evening of music, dance and theatre, on Monday 20th December at St Mary’s Church in Horsham, are now on sale.
Accompanied by a dazzling array of exotic and period instruments; carols, traditional folksongs, and innovative settings of ancient and romantic poetry will be revealed in a spirited performance of beguiling choral music. For this Silver Jubilee celebration, the band will premiere compositions from their latest album of ethereal plainsong ‘Prayers of the Rosary’, alongside exciting new arrangements of Christmas favourites.
When a group of friends broke into a graveyard 25 years ago to sing mediæval songs and make merry; no one could have predicted the epic journey they were embarking on. Over a quarter of a century later, the Mediaeval Baebes have released 10 studio albums and won an Ivor Novella Award for their performance on the BBC serialization ‘The Virgin Queen.’ They have also received 2 Emmy nominations, and a Royal Television Society award alongside composer Martin Phipps, for their soundtrack to ITV’s hit period drama, ‘Victoria.’
Established as one of the most successful female-led, early music and folk ensembles in Europe; their lush, ethereal harmonies will transport the listener through a myriad of ancient and forgotten languages.
Come join the Mediaeval Baebes, as they enchant and uplift their audiences once again with a glorious Christmas time celebration. Tickets are now available from www.mediaevalbaebes.com at a cost of £25 each.
ENDS
For further information, please contact: Heather Joy – JoyStars
Phone: 01403 790146
Mobile: 07968 805422
Email: heather@joystars.co.uk
Note to Editors:
Doors open at 7.00pm. The concert will commence at 7.30, break for a short interval and close at 9.30pm.
2021 December Tour Dates:
5th
Acapela Studios, Cardiff
7th
The Stables, Milton Keynes
9th
Bolton Parish Church
10th
Leeds Minster
11th
Stoke Minster
13th
The Church of St Peter Mancroft, Norwich
16th
St Nicholas Newcastle Cathedral
17th
St John the Baptist’s Church, Glastonbury
18th
St Mary’s Arts Centre, Sandwich, Kent
16th
Colchester Arts Centre
20th
St Mary’s Horsham
21st
Heath Street Baptist Church, London
The Mediaeval Baebes are:
Katharine Blake Musical Director, vocals, recorder, violin
Josephine Ravenheart Vocals. foot percussionist, hurdy-gurdy, recorder
Marie Findlay Vocals
Sophaea Halberstam Vocals, recorder, chanter
Fiona Fey Vocals
Tbc Vocals, cellist
Musicians:
Charlie Cawood Oud, daruan, lyre, acoustic guitar, saz, liuqin, saz, cuatro
Ben Woollacott Drums, percussion
Michael J York Bagpipes, duduk, whistle, recorders
About the Mediaeval Baebes
The Mediaeval Baebes exquisite storybook opened its pages in 1996, when a group of friends broke into a North London cemetery and sang together, clad in flowing white gowns and crowns of ivy.
The unique, classical chart topping choir Mediaeval Baebes was conceptualised and formed in 1996 by musical director, composer and producer Katharine Blake. The group have released 8 studio albums, won an Ivor Novella Award for their performance on the BBC serialisation “The Virgin Queen” and received two Emmy nominations and a Royal Television Society award as the featured artist alongside composer Martin Phipps for the theme tune of ITV’s hit TV show “Victoria”.
Throughout their many incarnations, the Mediaeval Baebes’ haunting classical vocals have led them to tour the world, including UK, United States, Canada, Asia and Europe, in venues ranging from castles and caves to cathedrals & Glastonbury. They have toured with Jools Holland and played at the Royal Albert Hall, Carnglaze Caverns in Cornwall, Jersey Opera House, Tewkesbury Abbey, supported Michael Flatley in Hyde Park, and performed at the legendary Lilith Fayre.
Most recently they were invited by enthusiast Iggy Pop to perform on his Radio 6 Christmas Day special.
Katharine Blake is known for her unique choral writing style, sourcing lyrics from mediaeval and romantic texts which she sets to original scores, as well as reinventing traditional and folk songs, often accompanied by the Mediaeval Baebes’ plethora of mediaeval and folk instruments. Whilst singing in an array of obscure and ancient languages, the Baebes offer a beguiling musical beauty and ethereal talent. The choice of mediaeval texts are mythological, philosophical and dark in topic, meditating upon the inevitability of death, the pointlessness of material possessions, the agony of unrequited love or the dangers of vinous hallucinations. The more familiar material, such as their classic anthology of Christmas Carols “Of Kings and Angels” offers a refreshing and exotic twist to well-known classics
Katharine Blake is also known as the lead singer and song writer of 90s avant-garde rock band Miranda Sex Garden, and has worked with Nick Cave, Michael Nyman and John Cale
2019 saw the release of the group’s ground breaking and fantastical nursery rhyme album, which celebrates the contrast of child-like innocence with the surreal and dark content inherent in these ancient rhymes. To mark this long-awaited release, the Baebes are be embarking on a Christmas UK tour, where they will be performing material from this album alongside many seasonal favorites
