Beloved local group Eboracum Baroque returns to the Orchard Tea Garden, with authentic classical hits
Eboracum Baroque is a Cambridge-based ensemble, comprised of young professional singers and instrumentalists. Its performances revive classic baroque pieces and bring to light lesser-known works, using period instruments known to composers of the time, from Bach and Vivaldi to Handel and Purcell. This month, the virtuosic group is back with a series of concerts in the tranquil setting of Grantchester’s Orchard Tea Garden – perfect for a summer evening.
Director Chris Parsons formed the group in 2012 as part of his dissertation project at the University of York, where he studied music. The ensemble soon spread its roots, leaving its native York (dubbed Eboracum by the Greeks) for the Edinburgh Fringe, where the group started to gain recognition with a performance of Purcell’s opera Dido and Aeneas. In the ten years since, Eboracum Baroque has performed at prestigious venues around the world and closer to home, including Cambridge’s splendid Senate House, welcoming old and new members along the way.
Now based near Ely, Chris has sought to connect with baroque music created by composers from the local area. Eboracum Baroque’s first album, Music for Wimpole Hall, was recorded in 2015 and features music by Thomas Tudway, who worked at the estate. He was also organist at King’s College for over 50 years and professor of music at the University of Cambridge. According to Chris, Tudway isn’t the only unsung hero from the city’s baroque back catalogue. “There’s tons of music waiting to be discovered,” he says. “I’m hopeful that, with time, we can do more performances that showcase Cambridge composers.”
In the nearer future, however, the ensemble will stick to tried-and-tested classics sure to pull in a crowd and showcase baroque’s best bits. Coming up this month, the group returns to the Orchard Tea Garden for a series of outdoor performances; a format that originated from the need for open-air venues at the start of the pandemic. “I will always remember the concerts we did at the Orchard in 2020, because they were the first ones people had been to in months,” recalls Chris.
This year, there will be two performances in the idyllic Tea Gardens, beginning with a selection of Baroque Classics on 10 June, including pieces by Handel, Purcell and Vivaldi. “There may also be some audience participation,” hints Chris. “In the past, we’ve played drinking songs from the period that have catchy choruses, which we teach bit by bit. We’ve found that the audience appreciates being interacted with!” The second concert on 11 June is a performance of one of Purcell’s greatest works, King Arthur – a patriotic opera filled with epic tunes and battle cries.
The unparalleled setting of Grantchester’s famous apple orchard on a balmy summer’s evening is a unique opportunity to rediscover iconic works of music in a new light – and even encounter some pieces you’ve never heard before. Get ready to pull up a deckchair and sink into the beauty of baroque.
For more information and to book tickets, head to eboracumbaroque.co.uk
