*Sold out* Mishima by Philip Glass - Bristol Ensemble Contemporary
2024-03-14 19:30 - 20:30 (Europe/London)
Spectra Anna Thorvaldsdottir
Stringsongs Meredith Monk
Reflections Anna Thorvaldsdottir
String Quartet No.3 ‘Mishima’ Philip Glass

An hour of contemporary music for string quartet, exploring timescales in human memory and the natural environment.

String Quartet No.3 by Philip Glass forms the core of the programme, with the mesmerising cross rhythms and hypnotic quality for which the composer is so well known. Based on music Glass wrote for a film based on the life of Japanese author Yukio Mishima, this short quartet references moments in the writer’s life.

Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s work is deeply inspired by the elemental landscapes of her native country. Her work for strings explores primordial textures, combining emotional intensity with glacial stasis.
A pioneer of interdisciplinary art, for over five decades, Meredith Monk has worked across composition, performance, choreography and direction. She has developed a unique style which links the archaic with the experimental. Stringsongs was written for the Kronos Quartet in 2005, and has been described by critic Tom Service as having a ‘mysterious mythic power’.
Tickets £15 full price, £8 concessions for all who need it, available online at www.arnolfini.org.uk/whatson/mishima

Stroud Choral: The Haydn Brothers
2024-03-16 19:00 - 21:30
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Stroud Choral Society
Bristol Ensemble
Simon Bell conductor
Michael Haydn Requiem in C
Joseph Haydn Nelson Mass
Stroud Choral Society led by their Musical Director Simon Bell will perform two works by the Haydn brothers – firstly, the beautiful Requiem in C by the lesser known Michael Haydn (1737 – 1806) whose Requiem greatly influenced Mozart.
The second part of the concert features the well known Nelson Mass, or as originally entitled, the Missa in Angustiis, (Mass for troubled times) by Joseph Haydn. This piece is argued to be his finest work and is the culmination of his late work of liturgical music. Written at the time of stunning military success by Napoleon against Haydn’s Austria, it was performed as news broke of Nelson’s victory at The Battle of the Nile and thus acquired its enduring name.
Tickets are available from www.ticketsource.co.uk

Bath Minerva Choir: St John Passion
2024-03-16 19:30 - 22:00
Bath Minerva Choir
Bristol Ensemble Baroque
Conducted by Gavin Carr
St John Passion J.S. Bach
James Gilchrist Evangelist
Thomas Humphreys Christus
Rebecca Ramsey soprano
Ruby Bak mezzo soprano
Johnnes Moore baritone
Join Bath Minerva Choir and Bristol Ensemble Baroque at Bath Abbey for a performance of Bach’s St John Passion in the work’s 300th anniversary year.
Tickets available from bathboxoffice.org.uk/whats-on/js-bach-st-john-passion

Exultate Singers: St John Passion
2024-03-17 19:00 - 22:00 | St George’s Bristol, Great George Street, Bristol, BS1 5RR, United Kingdom
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Exultate Singers
Bristol Ensemble Baroque
Peter Davoren Evangelist / tenor
Frederick Long Christus / bass
Keri Fuge soprano
Martha McLorinan alto
Conducted by David Ogden
First performed on Good Friday 1724, Bach’s St John Passion is a dramatic account of Christ’s final days, from the betrayal of Judas to the preparation for laying the body in the tomb.
Exultate Singers is joined by an outstanding line up of soloists, together with a specialist baroque orchestra from the Bristol Ensemble for this performance. The concert will be sung in German and takes place within a few days of the work’s 300th anniversary, connecting us across the centuries to all the listeners who have experienced the power and immediacy of this remarkable music in a live performance.
Bach’s first great sacred masterpiece brings to life the humanity of the drama. The choir takes on the role of the people, reflecting on the progression of the Easter story. The narrative is sung by the tenor Evangelist, exquistely beautiful arias provide moments of contemplation, and the entire work is bound together by chorales, German hymns enhanced by Bach’s harmonic invention. The work culminates in the intense and loving chorus Ruht wohl. This is ultimately an optimistic piece, the most personal and meditative of Bach’s Passion settings.
Tickets are £16 to £28 with discounts for students in full time education and under 18s. Book online at www.exultatesingers.org/product/bach-st-john-passion/ or www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk, telephone 0117 929 4929 or buy over the counter at St George’s Bristol.

Bath Choral Society: Haydn and Mozart
2024-03-23 19:30 - 21:30
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Bath Choral Society
Bristol Ensemble
Rebecca Bottone soprano
Olivia Ray alto
Alexander Sprague tenor
John Savournin bass
Katrine Reimers conductor
Haydn Nelson Mass
Mozart Vespers
Haydn’s Mass for Troubled Times was written in 1798 when Napoleon’s armies were threatening Vienna. It was called The Nelson Mass after Nelson defeated the French Navy at the Battle of the Nile. The moving and dramatic work sets the movements of the Latin Mass.
Mozart’s Solemn Vespers for a Confessor was composed in 1780 for liturgical use in Salzburg Cathedral. It is a setting of five Psalms and the Magnificat and includes the glorious Laudate Dominum.
Tickets £5 to £40

*Sold out* Górecki's Symphony No. 3 by candlelight
2024-03-27 19:30 - 21:30 | St George’s Bristol, Great George Street, Bristol, BS1 5RR, United Kingdom
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Soprano Emma Tring
Conductor Roger Huckle
Bristol Ensemble
Henryk Górecki Symphony No 3
Max Richter On the Nature of Daylight
Arvo Pärt Spiegel im Spiegel
Gorecki’s Symphony No. 3 Symphony of Sorrowful Songs owes its mass appeal to the powerfully evocative second movement – the setting of an eighteen year old girl’s prayer scratched on the wall of a Gestapo prison in 1944. It is an extraordinary piece of music which completely envelops you in the atmosphere it creates and depth of feelings it engenders. An experience not to be missed.
Tickets £10 to £35 plus St George’s booking fees, available online at www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk/whats-on/goreckis-symphony-no3-by-candlelight, by phone on 0117 929 4929 and over the counter at St George’s.

Preludes Music
2024-04-02 08:00 - 15:00, 2024-05-07 08:00 - 15:00, 2024-06-04 08:00 - 15:00
Preludes Music, the education arm of the Bristol Ensemble, continues its work in areas of Bristol that are experiencing high levels of economic disadvantage and aims to put music at the heart of every child’s education. By doing so we improve confidence, co-ordination, speech and language and benefit all other areas of their learning.
Preludes Music has been running successfully since 2009 in several schools areas of Bristol. It is the most extensive project of its type in the country and grew from discussions between Roger Huckle of the Bristol Ensemble, Professor Leslie Bunt of the University of the West of England and James Wetz a former Head Teacher.
Find out more at www.bristolensemble.com/preludes

A Birthday Letter: John Pickard World Premiere
2024-04-19 13:15 - 14:00
Bristol Ensemble Contemporary
John Pickard conductor
Tomas Klement piano
Pierre Boulez Derive I
John Pickard A Birthday Letter (first performance)
Carmen Ho New work (first performance)
Sadie Harrison The Nightingales of Afghanistan
A programme of contemporary music performed as part of the University of Bristol’s lunchtime concert series.
All University of Bristol lunchtime concerts have a £5 admission charge (UoB students can attend free of charge, with presentation of valid UCard). The admission charge can be paid in advance via the University online shop page or in person on the day of the concert, via card payment. Please note, the organisers are are unable to accept cash payments.
Doors close promptly at 1.15 pm. Latecomers will not be admitted.
Tickets £5, available to book online in advance at https://shop.bris.ac.uk/product-catalogue/department-of-music/lunchtime-concerts/lunchtime-concert-the-bristol-ensemble-19042024 or pay by card on the door.

Tea-Time Concert
2024-04-21 15:00 - 16:00 | Christ Church, Newmarket Road, Nailsworth, GL6 0DQ, United Kingdom
Henry Mancini The Pink Panther, Moon River, The Impossible Dream
Antonín Dvořák Piano Trio No.4 in E minor ‘Dumky’ Op.90
Roger Huckle violin
Harriet Wiltshire cello
Paul Israel piano
This recital brings together music from some very different sound worlds, marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of the American composer Henry Mancini with performances of some of his most iconic music including The Pink Panther, and Dvořák’s Piano Trio.
Written in 1890-91, Dvořák’s groundbreaking piano trio is rooted in Slavic folk music. Its six movements are based on dumka – Ukrainian folk songs – characterised by their abrupt changes from doleful laments to exuberant outbursts. Dvorák’s intention in incorporating this particular type of folk music was to create a work that spoke deeply to people and since its first performance in Prague on 11 April 1891, the trio has been among the most successful of his chamber works.
Tea and home made cakes served at 4pm.
Tickets £15 (£13 for those on low incomes), available online from Eventbrite or on the door. Under 18s free of charge.

Vivaldi Four Seasons by candlelight
2024-04-26 19:30 - 22:00
Vivaldi String Concerto in A
Bach Air on the G String
Pachelbel Canon
Boccherini Musica Notturna delle Strade di Madrid
Vivaldi The Four Seasons
Come and join us in the beautiful St Mary Magdalene church in Ditcheat to enjoy a wonderful evening of baroque music. The church will be stunningly lit by 300 real candles to create the most incredible immersive experience. Principals from the Bristol Ensemble, Bristol’s own professional ensemble, will perform some of our most loved baroque gems, culminating in the magnificent Four Seasons by Vivaldi.
Ticket includes a glass of wine and a taste of cheese in the interval.
Proudly presented by Ditcheat PCC and Breathe Music. Sponsored by Barber’s Cheese, Vine Wine and Alhampton Inn

Vivaldi's Four Seasons with Wine Tasting by Candlelight
2024-05-10 19:30 - 21:30 | 1904 Arts Club, The Red Lodge, Park Row, Bristol, BS1 5LJ, United Kingdom
Imagine a cozy and intimate setting, where you can enjoy a glass of wine and listen to the beautiful sounds of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. You’ll be welcomed to the 1904 Arts Club, a hidden gem behind the Red Lodge Museum, with its quirky artefacts and cabaret-style seating.
As the candles flicker, you’ll be treated to a live performance of Vivaldi’s masterpiece by the Bristol Ensemble, the city’s leading professional orchestra. You’ll also get to taste four exquisite Italian wines, carefully selected by Oboe Fine Wines, who are known for their quality, sustainability and biodiversity. They’ll take you on a journey through each wine, and share the stories behind the music and the regions they come from.
Whether you’re looking for a romantic date night, a fun outing with friends, or a chance to meet new people, this event is perfect for you. You’ll have a vibrant and relaxing evening, full of culture, flavour and joy. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience Vivaldi and Vino, a candlelit evening of Four Seasons and Fine Wines. Lights snacks also included.
Age restriction: 18 years +
Tickets are £40 available online.

Henleaze Concert Society: Blown Away
2024-05-11 19:30 - 21:30 | Trinity-Henleaze URC, Waterford Road, Bristol, BS9 4BT, United Kingdom
Mozart Serenade for Wind in C minor K.388 Dvořák Serenade for Winds in D minor Op.44 A programme of music for wind instruments performed by players from the Bristol Ensemble, featuring the powerful and characterful C minor serenade by Mozart, a four movement work full of ingenuity, twists and turns. Dvořák was inspired to write his own Serenade for Winds after hearing Mozart’s B flat major work for wind ensemble, and completed it within 14 days of his return home to Prague. It is unmistakably Czech, an homage to music-making in Czech palaces and stately homes. Pre-concert talk with Steve Clarke begins at 6.45pm. Doors open at 6.15pm for the talk and at 7.15pm for the concert only.
Individual concert prices
Tickets for Henleaze Concert Society members £15 Tickets for non members £18 Under 25 year olds £5
The ticket price includes a programme and interval drink. How to book Book tickets online now at Eventbrite Tickets are available from Henleaze Post Office. You can also book by sending a cheque payable to Henleaze Concert Society, covering note and SAE to 2 Saville Mews, Kingsdown Parade, Bristol BS6 5UL Tickets are available on the door from 6.15pm.
Season Tickets and Annual Society Membership
Season tickets are only £85 including Society Membership and admission to all six concerts from September to July. Alternatively, becoming a member of Henleaze Concert Society for £12 entitles you to book tickets for individual concerts at the members’ discounted rate. Season tickets and membership are available to buy by post by returning the with your payment and a stamped addressed envelope.

Vaughan Williams Meets Einaudi
2024-05-11 19:30 - 21:30 | St Andrew’s Church, Chew Magna, Chew Magna, BS40 8SF, United Kingdom
Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending, Greensleeves Ludovico Einaudi Primavera, Petricor, Devenire, I Giorni Max Richter On the Nature of Daylight Astor Piazzolla Summer The evocative and atmospheric nature-inspired music of Einaudi and Vaughan Williams come together in this stunning spring concert. The Lark Ascending is one of Britain’s best-loved pieces of classical music, capturing the character of the English countryside inhabited by the sky lark. The natural world is also beautifully depicted by the works of Ludovico Einaudi as he takes us through Spring, the evocative Petricor (smell of rain), and I Giorni – ‘In the Days, Our Life’. Max Richter’s hauntingly beautiful On the Nature of Daylight and Astor Piazzolla’s pulsating tango Summer conclude a fascinating emotional and uplifting programme of music.
Tickets £15 for adults, £12.50 for under 18s plus booking fees, available online at www.ticketsource.co.uk

Tea-Time Concert
2024-05-12 15:00 - 16:00 | Christ Church, Newmarket Road, Nailsworth, GL6 0DQ, United Kingdom
W.A. Mozart Serenade for Wind in C minor K.388. A performance of Mozart’s delightful and colourful C minor wind serenade, a four movement work full of ingenuity, twists and turns.
Tea and home made cakes served at 4pm.
Tickets £15 (£13 for those on low incomes), available online from Eventbrite or on the door. Under 18s free of charge.

Einaudi Meets Max Richter by candlelight
2024-05-15 19:30 - 21:30 | St George’s Bristol, Great George Street, Bristol, BS1 5RR, United Kingdom
Bristol Ensemble
Roger Huckle – conductor/violin
Paul Israel – piano
Ludovico Einaudi Devenire, Full Moon, Time Lapse, I Giorni, Love is a Mystery, Una Mattina, Fly, Petricor, Primervera. Max Richter Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Reimagined. A hypnotic evening of music featuring mesmerising works by Ludovico Einaudi, together with Max Richter’s engagingly refreshing reimagining of Vivaldi’s ever popular Four Seasons. In the candlelight setting of St George’s Bristol with beautiful visuals you will be immersed and transported by the glorious strings of the Bristol Ensemble with Paul Israel dazzling at the piano.
Tickets £15 to £30 plus St George’s booking fees, available online, by phone on 0117 929 4929 and over the counter at St George’s Bristol box office.

Einaudi Meets Vaughan Williams
2024-05-18 19:30 - 21:30 | St Andrew’s Church, St Andrew's Church, Backwell, BS48 3JJ, United Kingdom
Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending, Greensleeves
Ludovico Einaudi Primavera, Petricor, Devenire, I Giorni
Max Richter On the Nature of Daylight
Astor Piazzolla Summer
The evocative and atmospheric nature-inspired music of Einaudi and Vaughan Williams come together in this stunning Spring concert. The Lark Ascending is one of Britain’s best-loved pieces of classical music, capturing the character of the English countryside inhabited by the sky lark. The natural world is also beautifully depicted by the works of Ludovico Einaudi as he takes us through Spring, the evocative Petricor (smell of rain), and I Giorni – ‘In the Days, Our Life’. Max Richter’s hauntingly beautiful On the Nature of Daylight and Astor Piazzolla’s pulsating tango Summer conclude a fascinating emotional and uplifting programme of music.
Tickets £20 for adults, £10 for under 25 year olds available online at www.eventbrite.co.uk

Imogen - Short Film Premiere
2024-05-19 19:00 - 20:00 | The Cube Multiplex, Dove Street South [off top-left of King Square], Bristol, BS2 8JD
Kevin Figes presents Imogen, a folk-horror short film premiere, plus Q&A session, live music and other shorts.
Directed Kevin Figes, 2023, UK, English, 30mins, Cert: 18 (TBA). Soundtrack recorded by the Bristol Ensemble.
Set in the 1970s, the storyline revolves around Imogen, a traveler returning home to see her mother, who discovers her uncle waiting for her instead. As the plot unfolds, Imogen begins to encounter peculiar events within the house, whilst having a strange encounter with the green man in the woods… Is she dreaming?
Director Kevin Figes is best known in the music world as an improvising sax/flute player and composer. His music has attracted the comments ‘A kaleidoscopic blizzard’ (Jazzwise) and ‘A true original at work’ (sussex jazz). Now Figes turns his attention to his other great love, folk horror and giallo films of the 1970’s. The original soundtrack music is beautifully recorded and played by many of Bristol’s finest musicians. Plus a Q&A session with Figes, lead actor Francesca Way and cinematographer/editor Gaz Williams. Plus live improvised music by special mystery guest stars! Plus other experimental short films and music promos. Presented in loving memory of Jon Beedell.
Tickets £5. Doors open at 6pm, film and performances at 7pm.

Preludes Music 15th Anniversary Concert
2024-05-23 12:30 - 14:10 | St Mary Redcliffe Church, Colston Parade, BS1 6RA
A concert performed by children from all over the city who are part of Bristol Ensemble’s award-winning Preludes Music project, together with professional singers from The Fitzhardinge Consort. The audience will include friends and families of the children, and supporters and funders of the project, including the Lord Mayor and High Sheriff, Richard Pendlebury.

Gavin Bryars Double Bill: Sinking of the Titanic and Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet
2024-05-24 19:00 - 20:00 | 1904 Arts Club, The Red Lodge, Park Row, Bristol, BS1 5LJ, United Kingdom
Bristol Ensemble performs The Sinking of the Titanic by British minimalist composer Gavin Bryars. The work was inspired by the story that the band on the RMS Titanic continued to perform as the ship sank in 1912 and imagines how the music performed by the band would reverberate through the water some time after they ceased performing. Composed between 1969 and 1972, the work is now considered one of the classics of British classical experimental music.
It was first recorded in 1975 when it became the first release on Brian Eno’s Obscure Records. The programme includes Bryars’ arrangement of the religious song Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet which he heard in London in 1971 whilst working on a film about people living rough in the area around Elephant and Castle and Waterloo Station. In the course of being filmed, some people broke into drunken song – sometimes bits of opera, sometimes sentimental ballads – and one, who in fact did not drink, sang the song Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet.
The programme includes the world premiere of Marcus Davidson’s Felefantasi, a work inspired by the Norwegian Fele, the way it’s played (technique wise) and the music written for it.
Tickets £20 for adults, £15 for students in full time education and under 25 year olds are available online.

Vivaldi's Four Seasons by Candlelight
2024-05-25 19:30 - 21:30 | Blakehay Theatre, Wadham Street, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1JZ, United Kingdom
Roger Huckle – director / violin soloist
Antonio Vivaldi The Four Seasons
Ludovico Einaudi Primavera, Petricor, Devenire, I Giorni
Max Richter On the Nature of Daylight
Astor Piazzolla Summer.
The evocative and atmospheric nature-inspired music of Einaudi and Vaughan Williams come together in this stunning Spring concert. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is one of the best-loved pieces of classical music, managing to capture the character of the Italian countryside through a year as the landscape and nature changes with the seasons.
The natural world is also beautifully depicted by the works of Ludovico Einaudi as he takes us through Spring, the evocative Petricor (smell of rain), and I Giorni – ‘In the Days, Our Life’. Max Richter’s hauntingly beautiful On the Nature of Daylight and Astor Piazzolla’s pulsating tango Summer conclude a fascinating emotional and uplifting programme of music.
The Blakehay Theatre will be transformed with 300 candles adorning the stage.
Tickets £20 available online at www.ticketsource.co.uk

Handel by Candlelight
2024-06-05 19:30 - 21:30 | St George’s Bristol, Great George Street, Bristol, BS1 5RR, United Kingdom
Bristol Ensemble
Fitzhardinge Consort
Arrival of Queen of Sheba
Selected movements from Music for the Royal Fireworks
Three movements from Messiah
Zadok the Priest
Dixit Dominus
Bristol Ensemble teams up with Fitzhardinge Consort for a special celebration of Handel’s choral music in the gorgeous candlelit ambience of St George’s.
Tickets £10 to £27, available online, by phone on 0117 929 4929, and over the counter at St George’s Bristol.

Henleaze Concert Society: Music for a Blue Planet
2024-06-08 19:30 - 21:30 | Trinity-Henleaze URC, Waterford Road, Bristol, BS9 4BT, United Kingdom
Schubert Trout Quintet
George Fenton Music from the BBC Blue Planet TV series: Main Theme; Blue Whale; Frozen Oceans; Sardine Run; Coral Wonders; Surfing Snails
In collaboration with the Festival of Nature, the Bristol Ensemble takes you on a breathtaking musical exploration of our beautiful planet with music from the BBC series Blue Planet by George Fenton together with Schubert’s enduringly popular Trout Quintet. Written by the young composer at just 22 years of age, it has a freshness and serenity that has engaged players and audiences for nearly 200 years.
Pre-concert talk with Steve Clarke begins at 6.45pm. Doors open at 6.15pm for the talk and at 7.15pm for the concert only.
Individual concert prices
Tickets for Henleaze Concert Society members £15
Tickets for non members £18
Under 25 year olds £5
The ticket price includes a programme and interval drink.
How to book
Book tickets online now at Eventbrite
Tickets are available from Henleaze Post Office.
You can also book by sending a cheque payable to Henleaze Concert Society, covering note and SAE to 2 Saville Mews, Kingsdown Parade, Bristol BS6 5UL
Tickets are available on the door from 6.15pm.
Season Tickets and Annual Society Membership
Season tickets are only £85 including Society Membership and admission to all six concerts from September to July. Alternatively, becoming a member of Henleaze Concert Society for £12 entitles you to book tickets for individual concerts at the members’ discounted rate. Season tickets and membership are available to buy by post by returning the Ticket Order Form with your payment and a stamped addressed envelope.

Tea-Time Concert
2024-06-09 15:00 - 16:00 | Christ Church, Newmarket Road, Nailsworth, GL6 0DQ, United Kingdom
Schubert Trout Quintet
The Bristol Ensemble performs Schubert’s enduringly popular Trout Quintet. Written by the young composer at just 22 years of age, it has a freshness and serenity that has engaged players and audiences for nearly 200 years.
Tea and home made cakes served at 4pm.
Tickets £15 (£13 for those on low incomes), available online from Eventbrite or on the door. Under 18s free of charge.

School concerts
2024-06-13, 2024-06-18, 2024-06-19
Bristol Ensemble performs in local schools in Bristol and Swindon, bringing the magic of live music into young people’s lives

Concert at Bishopsmead Lodge care home
2024-06-25 14:30 - 15:30 | Bishopmead Lodge care home, Vicarage Road, Bishopsworth, Bristol, BS13 8ES
A concert for the residents of Bishopmead Lodge care home given by the professional musicians of the Bristol Ensemble.

Bristol Choral Society: Hymnus Paradisi
2024-06-29 19:30 - 21:30 | Bristol Beacon, Trenchard Street, Bristol, BS1 5AR, United Kingdom
Vaughan Williams Serenade for Music
Finzi Dies Natalis
Howells Hymnus Paradisi
Bristol Choral Society
Hannover Oratorienchor
Hilary Campbell conductor
Tickets £15 to £30 for adults, £5 for under 18s, available from Bristol Beacon box office
