Celebrating glory of Venice

Crispian will have played what he calls fanfares and flourishes in the Festival’s opening event re-enacting the coronation of Henry VIII; now, though, it’s the proper music.

The programme will include works for organ, voice and baroque ensemble, taking full theatrical advantage of the music created specifically for St Mark’s Venice by Monteverdi, the Gabrieli brothers Andrea and Giovanni, Lodovico Viadana and Orazio Benevoli.

The programme is devised and directed by the current organist of St Mark’s Roberto Micconi who will be joined by Crispian, by Australian Baroque Brass and by soprano Anna Sandstrom.

“It’s wonderful music - by composers with names like Spaghetti and Ravioli,” Crispian says. “Beautiful music. It’s what I would call early baroque music. It’s a cross-over from the Renaissance.”

Crispian picked up his first trumpet at the age of ten, progressing so quickly that just six years later he was playing with the English National Youth Orchestra. On graduating from the Guildhall School of Music, Crispian spent his early career playing with the English National Opera and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

He then spent 15 years working in recording, TV and film studios, developing a body of work which is universally recognisable today, from Handel to James Bond themes and pop classics.

Australian Baroque Brass is regarded as one of Australia’s finest early music ensembles. Founded in 2003, the ensemble is dedicated to the pursuit of musical excellence on authentic or period instruments.

Based in Sydney under the artistic directorship of trumpeter and scholar John Foster, Australian Baroque Brass has pioneered the use of period brass instruments in Australia and has been responsible for giving Australian premiere performances (on period instruments) of works by such composers as Biber, Altenburg, Vejvanovsky, Caldara, Schutz, Praetorious and many others.

They perform a vast repertoire of European music from the 16th to the 19th centuries, with the ensemble varying in size from solo recitals with continuo through to full orchestral performances. Typically, the ensemble performs with natural trumpets, cornetts, sackbuts, natural horns, timpani, vocalists and organ/continuo.

More details on www.petworthfestival.org.uk.