Llandaff Cathedral will echo the glorious sound of renaissance Venice on Saturday 17 November, when Cardiff Polyphonic Choir perform Claudio Monteverdi’s magnificent Vespers of 1610. The Choir, under its conductor David Young, will be joined by seven soloists and a host of leading players.
Top brass players His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts join early music specialists Réjouissance and continuo players like David Miller. South Wales-born David will play the chitarrone – an early Italian instrument with a wonderfully deep sound. Returning to Cardiff, where he teaches at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, he has recorded with top singers like Elin Manahan Thomas. He has made over 200 recordings as accompanist and continuo player.
His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts are a world-renowned, pioneering brass ensemble. The instruments they play are the forerunners of modern trombones and trumpets. They have recorded Monteverdi’s Vespers under their patron, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, in St Mark’s in Venice.
Monteverdi published his Vespers in Venice in 1610, shortly before being appointed maestro di cappella at St Mark’s Basilica. This wonderful work has been described as a ‘mixture of the splendid and the intimate, the sensual and the sublime’. You can discover Monteverdi’s sound world for yourself in Llandaff Cathedral on 17 November.
The performance starts at 7.30 p.m. Tickets at £22 and £12 are available from TicketSource, or at the door on the night. For more details, see http://www.cardiffpolyphonic.org.uk
