Toad Lane Concerts: The Telemann Baroque Ensemble

The Telemann Baroque Ensemble

The North West is blessed with a great number of talented instrumentalists. They populate the many orchestras, bands and ensembles as well as appear as soloists in the region, as professional, semi-professional and amateur music-makers.

The Telemann Baroque Ensemble has played several times at Toad Lane Concerts and throughout the area. The group varies from time to time but today’s line-up was fairly representative.

In music of the Baroque period, ‘basso continuo’ means that harmonies and the bass line are played on a keyboard instrument plus other bass instruments. This particular grouping featured Roger Bisby on cello with Peter Collier on harpsichord. The latter is not only the founding ‘kappellmeister’ of the Telemann Baroque Ensemble but also director of the Baroque Week Summer School, now in its 43rd year, for which he has built up a library of several thousand music scores. He also provides enlightening introductions at no extra charge.

Over this ‘basso continuo’ the rest of the distinguished soloists, Alastair Roberts (flute), Alfred Pollard (oboe), Elaine da Costa (violin) and John Goodstadt (viola), played a Vivaldi Trio Sonata with flute and oboe, Quantz and Telemann Quartets with flute, violin and viola, a Telemann Trio Sonata with oboe and violin, and a Chelleri Trio Sonata with flute and oboe.

So, lots of subtle variety within a consistently satisfying eighteenth century sound world that was enthusiastically brought to life. The marvellous playing in the ambience and acoustic of St Mary in the Baum cried out, ‘Keep music live and alive’.

There will be a further opportunity to hear midday music from this delightful group on Wednesday 1 June 2022.

The award-winning Toad Lane Concerts are every Wednesday at 12.30pm at St Mary in the Baum, Toad Lane, Rochdale, OL16 1DZ. Entrance fee is £6. No refreshments available now, but the venue is Covid-19 compliant. Contact 01706 648872 for further information.

To see the March & April 2022 programme, click here.

Dr Joe Dawson