The English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble
To the English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble: April 25th 2009:
“Many thanks to you all for your brilliant playing in the Monteverdi Vespers of 1610, tonight and yesterday. I was deeply impressed by your skills, energy and infectious enthusiasm in every department, and thoroughly enjoyed singing with you. All power to the group in future projects!”
Emma Kirkby
“ …The Cornetts and Sackbuts of ECSE went on to amaze with their smooth mastery of fickle instruments”
Early Music Network Showcase. Peter Grahame Woolf
“ …the fabulous English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble would have made Monteverdi proud with their skill and sensitivity”
Toronto Star
“ … this group plays with ease and a superb blend of tones… a winning collection”
(Accendo CD awarded 5 stars - full review )
www.musicweb.uk.net
The English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble is a virtuoso period instrument ensemble at the forefront of the early music scene.
Since it’s formation in 1993, ECSE have performed at many major music festivals in the UK and abroad including the Bath International Festival, Spitalfields Festival, La Folle Journée, Grundton D, International Izmir Festival, as well as sell-out concerts at London’s Wigmore Hall, St John’s Smith Square and the Purcell Room. 2011 saw their debut performance in the Three Choirs Festival alongside the choir of Royal Holloway College. ECSE have toured France, Canada (2001 and 2008) and Israel twice (with assistance from the British Council). In 2011 ECSE visited Turkey and Florence with the renowned chamber choir I Fagiolini, as well as perfoming music from Monteverdi's Selva Morale with Cantus Cölln in a concert celebrating the re-opening of the wonderful gothic cathedral in Trier, Germany.
Following the success of our debut CD Accendo (2001) - which achieved three 5-star awards - ECSE have been involved in many quality recordings, including The Madrigal in Venice - a large-scale recording of Andrea Gabrieli’s madrigals with I Fagiolini, described as 'one of the most enthralling madrigal anthologies on the market'. Our discography also includes a world premiere recording of Francesco Scarlatti’s 'Miserere' with Emma Kirkby and the Armonico Consort, a critically acclaimed Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 with Southern Sinfonia and the Rodolfus Choir, and a CD of music by the Flemish composer Philippe Rogier with the choir of King’s College London. 2011 saw the release of two further discs: Le divin Arcadelt with vocal ensemble Musica Contexta, and ECSE are very proud to announce that our collaboration with I Fagiolini: the world premiere recording of the momentous 40-part mass Ecco si beato giorno by Alessandro Striggio has recently won a GRAMOPHONE AWARD in the 2011 awards. ECSE have also released two further solo CD’s: A Hanseatic Festival (2004) and Flower Of Cities All (2008) featuring music from Shakespeare's London. Recording plans for 2012 include further collaborations with I Fagiolini, The Choir of Royal Holloway and The Armonico Consort.
The English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble regularly accompany leading professional chamber choirs and ensembles, including I Fagiolini, Cantus Cölln, The Monteverdi String Band, The Dunedin Consort, Trinity Baroque and the Armonico Consort. They have also performed joint vocal and instrumental programmes with choral societies throughout Britain, including many performances of Claudio Monteverdi’s magnificent 1610 Vespers.
In addition to their work with ECSE, our members perform individually with some of the worlds leading period instruments groups such as l'Arpeggiata, The Taverner Consort, Concerto Palatino, The Gabrieli Consort & Players, The English Baroque Soloists, The King’s Consort, Ensemble La Fenice, The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Tafelmusik, as well as providing music for the plays at the gloriously reconstructed Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on London’s Bankside.