Welcome to Fiori Musicali – one of the UK’s principal providers of baroque and classical music concerts outside London.  Fiori give over 30 concerts a year – entertaining programmes with world class musicians, directed by founder Penelope Rapson – bringing to life the authentic world of Purcell, Handel, Vivaldi and Mozart.

Fiori appear both as a nationally recognised orchestra and also as a chamber ensemble and chamber choir.  And for atmospheric experience it’s hard to match the array of venues Fiori visit – exquisite country churches tucked away in rural settings, handsome stately piles and historic town venues.  Founded in 1983, this year Fiori celebrate 30 years of delighting audiences with first class baroque and classical music concerts.

Fiori provide online booking through TicketSource, at no cost to you for e-ticketing.  It’s elegant and easy to use, and we hope that you will like it too.

Your e-tickets will be e-mailed to you immediately.  Or they can be posted (at a charge from TicketSource of £1.50).  Of course, you can still telephone us on 01327 360931 or apply for tickets by post if you prefer.

For more about us – on CD, in beautiful and historic venues here, abroad, or somewhere near you – stay tuned to Fiori. And share your views in Foyer Talk, or ‘Like’ us on Facebook (see left-hand column)!

For our Concert Listing, Workshops, and other events, navigate via What’s On (above).

We at Fiori look forward to enjoying more great music with you.

…..time to investigate the delights in store in Fiori’s new 2013 concert season.

First off we are delighted to announce our collaboration with NMPAT (the Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust.)  Over the next week or so, key musicians from Fiori Musicali are working with young string players across South and West Northamptonshire, preparing these gifted youngsters to play alongside the Fiori Chamber Orchestra in concert.

This is all leading up to a grand joint concert in Towcester on 2 March,  when NMPAT’s young musicians will get to experience the sound world of Vivaldi and Corelli at first hand, and feel what it is like to be part of a baroque orchestra.  The project is being supported by South Northamptonshire Council in partnership with Orchestras Live and is all part of Fiori’s mission to bring the best of professional baroque music to as many people as possible.

And of course Fiori’s soloists will be there to inspire, performing Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto no.6, as well as two of Vivaldi’s scintillating virtuoso concertos for two cellos and strings.

And there are more joint ventures afoot.  Fiori’s residency at the Castle Theatre, Wellingborough continues.  We have a lunchtime concert of Vivaldi chamber concertos there on 15 March, featuring Gail Hennessy oboe, Mike Brain bassoon and popular young recorder player Heidi Fardell.

One particularly special musician Fiori are supporting this year is the young Latvian prize-winning pianist Mihkel Poll. Mihkel’s accolades include winning the Guildhall Wigmore Recital Prize, and we are delighted to welcome him to perform at Fawsley Hall in one of our celebrity recital concerts. Mihkel’s piano recital of Mozart Chopin and Brahms takes place at Fawsley Hall on St Patrick’s Day, 17 March.

Then on Good Friday – 29 March – Fiori mark the approach of Easter with beautiful sacred choral music, including Allegri’s much loved Miserere – in a concert that launches Fiori’s residency at the National Trust, Canons Ashby.

For more details and booking, see www.fiori-musicali.com/concert-listing (no booking charge).

This magnificent support raised £32,000 to help Fiori Musicali continue to bring world-class musicians to beautiful places, many in rural areas, reaching out to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience music of the highest quality.  We are now also able to take the first step towards safeguarding the future by creating a sustainable funding base.

Fiori Musicali were able to access all the matching funds available through the Christmas Challenge, though this stays open for unmatched donations until 19 December.  See new.thebiggive.org.uk/projects/view/17961.

And four days later on 12 December we are thrilled to welcome iconic soprano Emma Kirkby for Bach and Zelenka at Aynho – not to be missed!  Just a very few tickets remaining.

And then of course there’s Fiori’s traditional Mr Handel’s Messiah in the Guildhall, Northampton on 22 December – celebrating the start of Christmas.  The Fiori Musicali Choir & Orchestra will be joined by an exceptional team of soloists, amongst them exquisite soprano Grace Davidson, whose recent successes have included a European and American tour of the Matthew Passion for Phillipe Herreweghe, Monteverdi’s Vespers in Spain with Harry Christophers, and the soprano solo in a live recording of Faure’s Requiem with the LSO, to be released on the LSO live label.  Don’t miss her in Northampton!

For more details and booking, see www.fiori-musicali.com/concert-listing (no booking charge).

This festival – one of London’s best kept secrets – oozes with quintessentially English culture. Tucked away in the splendid 17th-century livery hall where Henry Purcell once performed pæons of praise to St Cecilia, the Saint Ceciliatide International Festival includes concerts, fine wines and banqueting in the City of London, reviving a tradition that goes back to the days of Samuel Pepys and Henry Purcell.

This year’s celebrations take place on Sunday 18 November, and include: a Festal Eucharist in honour of St Cecilia at St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street, followed by the traditional procession of Rector and Beadles up Ludgate Hill to Stationers’ Hall for a lunchtime concert of Purcell and Dowland, given by the exciting young recorder ensemble Wolken.

That evening the oak-panelled livery hall (which boasts impressive connections with both music publishing and performance through the centuries) will form the backdrop to music by Haydn and Mozart when Fiori Musicali – orchestra in residence – make their annual appearance, joined this year by  exquisite soprano, Grace Davidson (reception 6.30pm for 7pm concert – and of course the opportunity to push the boat out and dine afterwards in the splendour of the gilded 18th-century Court Room at Stationers’ Hall).

For more details and booking, see www.fiori-musicali.com/concert-listing (no booking charge).

For starters, November wouldnt be complete without Fiori’s annual visit to the St Ceciliatide Festival in the City of London.  This year’s celebrations take place on Sunday 18 November, and include: a Festal Eucharist in honour of St Cecila at St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street, followed by the  traditional procession up Ludgate Hill to Stationers’ Hall for a lunchtime concert of Purcell and Dowland, given by the exciting young recorder ensemble Wolken.

The Festival grand finale is Fiori’s evening concert of Mozart and Haydn – when the  Fiori Musicali Choir & Players will be joined by exquisite soprano, Grace Davidson (reception 6.30pm for 7pm concert – and of course the opportunity to push the boat out and dine afterwards in the splendour of the gilded 18th-century Court Room at Stationers’ Hall).

Fiori’s burgeoning new residency at the Castle Theatre in Wellingborough moves up a gear.  After our recent popular lunchtime concerts, there’s  Handel & the English Baroque on Saturday 24 November – an orchestral concert including Handel’s famous Largo, Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, the Oxford Water Music, and arias & duets from Julius Caesar (performed by unique soprano duo Judit Felszeghy and László Blaskovics).  

Leading up to that, More about Handel in the company of Fiori’s director Penelope Rapson, is a convivial evening exploring Handel’s world through recorded music-  on Wednesday 21 November, in the Lounge, at the Castle 7.30pm.

And as Christmas gets closer we are thrilled to welcome again iconic soprano Emma Kirkby for Bach and Zelenka – on 12 December at Aynho.  Not to be missed!   And still there are Victorian carols to come (December and of course Fiori’s traditional Mr Handel’s Messiah in the Guildhall Northampton on 22 December.

For more details and booking, see www.fiori-musicali.com/concert-listing (no booking charge).

After the recent excitement of Monteverdi’s It Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda in the famous Crusader Church in Northampton (how about that for an appropriate venue!!), when soloists, choir, strings and trumpets joined forces in a variety of dramatic war-like pieces, Fiori now turn to more contemplative sounds.

Coming shortly, Fauré’s famous Requiem – not as it is habitually performed, but in the more modest string orchestration of Fauré’s first inspiration of 1873.  This will be a chance to unpeel layers of later accretions and hear the music afresh, on gut strings with clear voices.  We know that Fauré had strong ideas about voices – there’s a surviving letter telling us that the voices that best capture the essence of his music are those that haven’t yet become grand and over-trained!  There’s a message for us all there…

Adding the all-important organ part for our Fauré extravaganza on 20 October will be James Parsons, a familiar face in music and organ education, and one of the organ’s most articulate advocates.  He’ll be playing the historic Elliott organ – an organ once the principal instrument in the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace, and now newly restored by Goetze & Gwynn and happily ensconced at St Margaret of Antioch in Crick.

Our lunchtime concerts continue 6 days later with a celebration of Handel and his world in 1720s London at The Castle, Wellingborough – an intimate setting with music, musicians and lunch all in close proximity.

November has musical feasts in store too – our residency at The Castle, Wellingborough reaches its autumn finale with an orchestral celebration of Handel in England, featuring sopranos Judit Felszeghy and László Blaskovics in well known Handel arias.  And November of course would not be complete without our annual appearance at the splendid St Ceciliatide Festival in the City of London.

For more details and booking, see www.fiori-musicali.com/concert-listing (no booking charge).

One man whose planning takes some beating is Martin Rowling, a member of Fiori’s Choir.  Over the last 7 years Martin, a retired local blacksmith, has been constructing a totally handmade traditional tower clock for the village of Culworth.  This splendid artefact, built without mechanical tools, and using only techniques and tools available 200 years ago, is to be unveiled by the Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire at 3pm on Saturday 9 June in Culworth, S Northants.

Needless to say, Fiori will be there -  marking the occasion in style, with (no surprises here!) Haydn’s Clock Symphony.  Martin had not originally intended his project to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, but “when it became apparent I had a chance of finishing the clock in time for this historic occasion”, he tells us, “ it became a Jubilee project. The clock will sit proudly on the gable end of the same forge in which it is being created, giving the time to one and all as they pass through the village of Culworth, as well as serving as a reminder to Queen Elizabeth’s own endurance on the throne.”

The unveiling of the clock is an occasion not to be missed.  Fiori’s concert (which follows directly after wine & canapés) is a veritable horological feast and includes a specially commissioned arrangement of Mozart’s “Music for Mechanical Organ” –  a musical curiosity, originally composed for a late 18th-century timepiece.  There is also music by Haydn for flute-clock – another musical curio.

Concert begins at 4.30pm on Saturday 9 June at Culworth Church OX17 5AT.  Unveiling of the Diamond Jubilee Clock at 3.00pm
Optional supper is also available at the Red Lion after the Culworth concert  (for which please book directly on 01295 760050.)

Fiori repeat this unusual programme at 7.30pm on Sunday 10 June at Sudborough, where, predictably, there is also a rather distinctive clock, this one presented as a gift by Lady Elizabeth Germain of Drayton House, in 1740.

The Sudborough concert begins at 7.30pm on Sunday 10 June
Tickets £15, £20, available from Fiori Musicali box office 01327 360931 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

For details and booking, see www.fiori-musicali.com/concert-listing.

Have you ever wished that Mr Handel could help your pupils with their own Water Music? Or felt your pupils’ Tudor Banquet was missing a certain musical ambience?

Help (and a glass of wine) is at hand!

We invite you to join Fiori Musicali musicians and educators for an informal evening at Caroline Chisholm School, Northampton on Wednesday 25 April at 7.30pm to discuss with director Penelope Rapson how you can Bring Musicians Live to your School.

For details, see www.fiori-musicali.com/bringing-music-to-your-school.

A well known and flamboyant figure, frequently on television for his knowledge of constitutional matters, Lord St John was minister for the Arts and Leader of the House.

He was also Fiori Musicali’s patron for many years, and lived in the picturesque village of Preston Capes, where Fiori have their base, and where the very first Fiori concerts took place way back in 1983.

So to mark the passing of this colourful figure, Fiori’s chamber ensemble will be performing in the local church at Preston Capes.  Amongst the performers are  favourite baroque violinist  Kerstin Linder-Dewan – flying over specially from Berlin – who will be playing Tartini’s fiendishly difficult ‘Devil’s Trill’ sonata.  Other delights include solo music for flute by Bach, and a brilliant chamber concerto by Vivaldi.

Preston Capes will in fact be en fête that weekend, celebrating the Queens’s birthday – and this at ties in rather nicely, given that Lord St John was such an ardent supporter of the monarchy.

Before the concert there is a reception with a private view of an exhibition of her Jubilee china and water colours by local artist Susan Rose at the Old Rectory, Preston Capes.  And there are other events happening too that weekend, including a tutored wine tasting  and even a Jazz brunch, with choral evensong at 6pm on Sunday 22 April to round things off.

Tickets and further information  available from the Fiori Musicali Box Office. 01327 360931, or see www.fiori-musicali.com

Concert begins at 6.00pm at the Preston Capes Church NN11 3TE on Friday 20 April.

For details and booking, see www.fiori-musicali.com/memorial-concert.