BOOKINGS OPEN MONDAY 9TH DECEMBER
Join us for a workshop on Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 in preparation for our concert with His Majesty’s Sagbutts and Cornets on 5th April.
Singing this masterpiece offers an incredible opportunity to explore the beauty and depth of early Baroque music. We’ll dive into intricate polyphony, dynamic rhythms, and rich harmonies, experiencing Monteverdi’s emotional expression and musical innovation. With direction from our recently appointed conductor Howard Ionascu and Kirsty Hopkins (full biographies below), we’ll explore vocal techniques unique to this work, bringing out its powerful contrasts and vibrant character.
We are delighted to be joined by Kirsty Hopkins, renowned soprano of The Sixteen and a versatile performer who has performed all over the world. She is an exceptional vocal coach known for her warm, engaging approach and technical expertise. Kirsty will help us take on the vocal challenges of the Monteverdi, blending her deep musical knowledge with clear guidance.
Registration from 10am, workshop 10:30-5pm. Audience members are welcome to join us at 4.15pm for a free informal concert.
Participation Fee:
£35*, to include coffee/tea, sandwich & quiche lunch, and home-made cakes & biscuits. *Under 30 yrs: £20
Music & Scores
We will be singing from the 1994 Novello Edition of Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 and covering the following movements:
1. Deus
2. Dixit
4. Laudate Pueri
8. Nisi Dominus
10. Lauda Jerusalem
11. Ave Maris Stella
13. Magnificat – ending from bar 363 ’sicut’
If you have a different edition, we strongly recommend that you hire a copy from us (£3) for ease of use on the day with bar numbers etc.
This is a wonderfully uplifting way to spend a February Saturday exploring one of choral music’s greatest treasures. We look forward to welcoming you to the workshop!
Howard Ionascu - Conductor
After a degree in music at Manchester University, Howard’s diverse career began as a professional singer in Wells Cathedral Choir, performing on many recordings, broadcasts and international tours.
Choral conducting began in 1997 when he founded The Laudate Choir, which continues to perform regularly in venues across the south east of England. Howard is also Musical Director of the Exeter Philharmonic Choir.
Past conducting roles have included Bournemouth Sinfonietta Choir, Finchley Children’s Music Group Trebles Choir and The Esterhazy Singers of London. Howard is also in regular demand as a guest rehearsal conductor, and in recent years has worked with Choir of the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, Orlando Chamber Choir, City of London Choir, Rodolfus Choir, Guildford Choral Society, Winchester Philharmonic Choir and on Eton Choral Courses.
Howard has conducted a number of the leading UK orchestras and ensembles, including Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, London Mozart Players, English Chamber Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, New London Orchestra and Onyx Brass.
Howard has a long association with music education, having led departments at some of the UK’s finest educational establishments and directed the choirs at Winchester College, King’s Canterbury and Junior Royal Academy of Music.
Kirsty Hopkins - Soprano, Creative Producer
Kirsty Hopkins read Music at Manchester University and then continued her post-graduate vocal training at Trinity College of Music where she won the Elizabeth Schumann Lieder Prize. She now enjoys a versatile career performing all over the world for some of today’s most exciting and renowned conductors and ensembles.
Kirsty has been a proud member of world-leading ensemble The Sixteen for 14 years. She brings a wealth of knowledge of renaissance and baroque repertoire to her extensive educational work, both with adult choirs and young people.
Recent performances on stage include First Witch in Purcell Dido and Aeneas at Grange Festival; lead roles in the community operas The Moon Hares and Fairy Queen: Three Wishes combining the music of James Redwood and Henry Purcell; and an adaptation of The Magic Flute for Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment with performances to young people throughout England; soprano soloist in The Sixteen and Streetwise Opera’s The Passion – a staged version of Bach’s St Matthew Passion receiving rave reviews and broadcast on BBC4; playing Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in the UK, in Charlotte Bray’s opera Entanglement; Betrayal, I Fagiolini’s murderous fusion of renaissance music and contemporary dance; onstage singer for Rambert in their ballet Labyrinth of Love with music by Michael Daugherty and Thomas Tallis at The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe.
Recent concert performances include the European premiere at St John’s Smith Square of Howard Goodall’s Invictus – A Passion; Purcell Indian Queen and Handel Dixit Dominus for Harry Christophers at the Edinburgh Festival and Sydney Opera House; Soprano Evangelist in Arvo Pärt’s Passio for Eric Whitacre conducting Hamburg Symphony Orchestra; Glory of Venice programme for OAE; Bach Lutheran Mass in G Minor for Australian Chamber Orchestra; Handel Israel in Egypt for Sir John Eliot Gardiner and Monteverdi Vespers for OAE throughout the UK and Europe.
Kirsty features on several recordings including Howard Goodall’s Invictus: A Passion, Purcell Indian Queen for The Sixteen and Handel at Vauxhall for London Early Opera. Television performances include appearances on Charles Hazelwood’s The Birth of British Music, The Sixteen’s Sacred Music at Christmas and The Passion on BBC4.
Future plans include more Fairy Queen: Three Wishes around the UK and Mozart Magic Flute and the Bird That Would Be Free in 2025 with OAE at Queen Elizabeth Hall.
Kirsty is a founder member of The Roxy Dots – a girl group bringing Andrews Sisters style to the south of the UK as often as possible. When not singing, Kirsty is a freelance producer, working with opera companies and ensembles to create vibrant, exciting new productions for tomorrow’s audiences.
