Venue: St. Barrahane's Church, Castletowshend, P81 AH51
Tickets €20
Online (booking fee applies), at the door, at Thornhill Electrical Skibbereen or text/call 086 226 4797
'A Pill to Purge Melancholie'
17th Century Music for Two Viols
Matthew Locke (1621 - 1677), Tobias Hume (1579 - 1645), Christoph Simpson (1602 - 1669), Thomas Ford (1580 - 1648) and more.
Sarah Groser and Reiko Ichise, two masters on the Viol with a unique Early Music Programme.
Sarah Groser
first played the viol as a nine year old when her father lent her one to keep her happy while she was waiting to start on the cello. She didn’t play a viol again until her late teens when she heard a viol consort and fell in love with the sound of viols playing together.
At Manchester University she was able to study both baroque cello and viol with Charles Medlam, then went on to Rotterdam Conservatorium to study baroque cello with Jaap ter Linden.
Since her studies Sarah has concentrated on the viol and more recently the violone. She has been a member of the Rose Consort of Viols for fifteen years, Sonnerie for three years and has worked with many other ensembles including Fretwork, Charivari Agreable, London Baroque and the Dowland Consort.
In 2001 Sarah moved from England to West Cork with her daughter Gracie. Since then she has performed in Ireland with The Little Concert, Castalia, the Orchestra of St. Cecilia, and with Sarah Cunningham and Tara Brandel at the East Cork Early Music Festival.
Reiko Ichise
Reiko is an accomplished musician known for her expertise in the Viola da Gamba and Tromba Marina. Originally from Tokyo, she moved to London more than three decades ago to study at the prestigious Royal College of Music and has since solidified her reputation as a leading chamber musician in the United Kingdom. Her passion for chamber music has led her to perform consistently with esteemed ensembles such as Florilegium, Passacaglia, The King's Consort, Bach Players, The Theatre of Ayre, Elephant House Quartet, The Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments, and the Irish Consort. Reiko has recorded numerous critically acclaimed albums as a chamber musician, showcasing her exceptional talent. For eight years, she was a vital member of the award-winning viol consort Fretwork, where she performed a rich repertoire of both historical and modern compositions. As a soloist, she has performed extensively, appearing at prestigious festivals and concert series with renowned orchestras such as the Academy of Ancient Music, English Baroque Soloists, Gabrieli Consort, Arte dei Suonatori, Britten Sinfonia, and The Norwegian Soloist Choir. Currently, she lends her extensive knowledge and skills as a Viola da Gamba professor at the Royal College of Music, shaping the next generation of musicians.