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Using a deliberate play on the European words, Kontratenor (Counter tenor) and La petite Bande, (small ensemble), the Baroque chamber ensemble Kontrabande was created with the intention to offer audiences music of the 16th and 17th centuries on a smaller scale. With the majority of Kontrabande's repertoire either being initially instrumental or for the solo Alto voice, the ensemble will also augment to use larger instrumental forces as well as larger vocal forces when the repertoire demands.
2014-2015 season opens with "Baroquen Mosaic" - a pot pourri of music to include German, English and Italian composers such as JC Bach (cousin) and Johann Fischer, Purcell and Antonio Vivaldi. The great J.S. Bach appears in the Advent programme with cantatas written for the churches liturgical calendar, as well as in the New Year where they will perform cantatas for the first Sunday of Epiphany. Leading up to Easter they explore the great music of Dietrich Buxtehudee with his masterpiece Membra Jesu Nostri for 5 voices, 2 violins and continuo, depicting the stages of Christ on the cross and our closing concert will take us, metaphorically speaking, to Westminster Abbey and the music of the Abbey's Organist, English composer, Henry Purcell. With a first half of verse anthems for chorus and solo singers they close with a semi staged version of the masterpiece Dido and Aeneas. |
