Leeds Baroque lunch time performance on Sarurday 16th February 2019 at 1.00pm

Saturday 16 February 2019 at 1:00pm
Clothworkers Centenary Concert Hall,
University of Leeds
Leeds Baroque launch
The Baroque Timpani Project

You are cordially invited to join us for a free short lunchtime recital performance of Henry Purcell’s Sound the trumpet, beat the drum – a Welcome Ode for King James II followed by an informal reception and an introduction to our ambitious Timpani Crowd Funding project.
We hope you will join us and be part of this exciting enterprise. Booking is not essential – but do let us know if you can join us so we can ensure we have enough glasses and refreshments!
You can book a place online via our webpage www.leedsbaroque.org
Or email your name and number of guests to leedsbaroque415@gmail.comTickets are free – but please book in advance

More about Leeds Baroque

Much of our core repertoire requires period instrument timpani – instruments that are hard to find in our region. To remedy this problem, and with the help and advice of Adrian Bending (principle timpanist for OAE and Professor of Timpani at the Royal College of Music) Leeds Baroque is launching a crowd funding campaign to commission a set of Baroque timps, which in addition to our own use will be made available to other period instrument groups. The instruments will be made by the legendary historical instrument makers, Henry Potter & Co.

Leeds Baroque is the city’s only ‘period instrument’ orchestra specialising in performances of music of the 17th and 18th centuries. Founded in 2000, and made up of professional, student and talented amateur performers: it is directed by an international authority on the performance of this repertoire, Prof. Peter Holman MBE. It has gained an enviable reputation for lively performances and academically informed programmes covering standard works by Purcell, Handel, Bach, Corelli and by their less familiar contemporaries. Most of the performers are unpaid, playing in the belief that this specialist, but very accessible, repertoire should be more widely appreciated, there being few similar organisations outside London.
Leeds Baroque is financed solely from its ticket income, modest grant funding and its small, but very supportive ‘Friends’ organisation.
It is now embarking on an ambitious plan to expand its repertoire opportunities with the purchase of a set of historically appropriate timpani. Such instruments are handmade, with copper bodies, goatskin heads and, inevitably a considerable price tag. In addition to Leeds Baroque the instruments will be made available to other period instrument groups in the North.
To bring this plan to fruition we seek your help via a crowdfunding project. We hope you will join us on this exciting journey, offering your own contribution to making another facet of this wonderful repertoire available to the people of Leeds and the region.