Leamington Music’s chamber concerts will be worth the Waits

Organised by Leamington Music, the first concert will feature the return of period band The York Waits at St Mary’s church in Warwick on Tuesday.

Wearing their usual colourful livery costumes authentically copied from the times of the original waits in York, they will bring a programme of 15th century music and song to the church.

The group will perform on an impressive range of instruments, heraldic trumpets, shawms, sackbut and bagpipes, with, in contrast, the quieter sounds of lute, rebec, harp, gittern and fiddle.

The programme, Our King Went Forth…from Agincourt to Bosworth, includes stirring songs of war such as the well known L’Hom Arme melody, the Agincourt carol, and Reveillez-vous Piccards; songs of passion and courtly love, stylish aristocratic dances and tunes from the taverns.

Repertoire is drawn from all over Europe in the absence of much secular and instrumental music from England during the Wars of the Roses.

Richard Phillips, of Leaminton Music, said: “We are delighted to have the York Waits back with a programme that will resonate particularly with the world famous Beauchamp Chapel, which has a remarkable collection of medieval instruments in its stained glass windows.

“As has often happened in the past, there is an educational side to the visit.  Members of the Waits will be involved with the County Music Service at Warwick Space on Sunday afternoon and will visit Westgate Primary School in Warwick early in the afternoon on the day of the concert.”

Leamington Music’s winter string quartets series will continue with a concert by The Maggini String Quartet on Friday November 9.

The quartet, who celebrate their 25th anniversary next year, has not performed for Leamington Music before but has impressed Warwick Arts Society audiences on previous occasions,

Their programme will include Mozart’s Quartet in D K499, John Ireland’s Quartet No1 and Mendhelssohn’s Quartet in A Opus 13.

Mr Phillips said: “The Quartet has a tremendous reputation for performing British music and has made more recordings of British works than any other quartet around.

“Particular praise has been given to their interpretation of John Ireland’s works and he has been played a lot this year, 50 years after his death.”

Tickets and times for all of Leamington Music’s concerts are available by calling 776438 or by visiting www.bridgehousetheatre.co.uk