Musical & Amicable Society

Continuo Foundation grantee
Supported by Continuo Foundation
The original Musical and Amicable Society was founded in 1762 by James Kempson, who directed the choir at St Bartholomew’s Chapel, Birmingham. Together with fellow musicians from St Philip’s Church (now Birmingham Cathedral), Kempson and his singers gathered on a regular basis at Cooke’s tavern in the Cherry Orchard “for practice and recreation”!
In 2003, Kate Fawcett and Martin Perkins decided to revive this historic society as a collective of professional period-instrument specialists, performing in combinations ranging from small ensembles to full orchestra.
Our presiding ethos is one of chamber music – however large or small the formation – where each and every performer has a significant role to play. Rapidly in demand, the Society now performs regularly throughout the country, including an annual tour of Christmas concerti.
Individually, our members maintain successful freelance careers with some of Europe’s most prestigious period-instrument ensembles. Collectively, we delight in exploring Baroque and Classical repertoire, both familiar and forgotten, recreating the soundscape of an earlier era for a twenty-first century audience.
As well as researching and devising our own programmes, we enjoy collaborating with enlightened choirs to breathe new life into choral masterpieces.
Musicians
- Martin PerkinsOrgan, Harpsichord, Fortepiano
- Kate FawcettViola, Violin, Strings
- Anneke ScottHorn, Brass
- Sophie SimpsonViolin
- Richard ThomasCornett, Trumpet, Brass
- Mark BaigentOboe
- Lisete da Silva BullRecorder, Flute
- Lynda SayceLute, Theorbo, Viola da Gamba, Recorder, Flute
- Henrik Persson
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Past programmes

Hearing voices: The Art of Fugue
- 📅Fri, 10 February 2023
- 📍76 St Paul's Rd, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1LP, UK
- 🕑7:00pm
- 🎫£10

Hearing voices: The Art of Fugue
- 📅Sun, 12 February 2023
- 📍The Angel Centre, Worcester
- 🕑3:00pm
- 🎫£20

Verdi - Requiem
- 📅Sat, 11 March 2023
- 📍Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford
- 🕑7:30pm
- 🎫tickets from £10 to £35

Handel's Messiah
- 📅Sat, 18 March 2023
- 📍St Alphege Parish Church, Solihull
- 🕑7:30pm
- 🎫£17 including drink, £6 concessions

Bach: St Matthew Passion
- 📅Sat, 25 March 2023
- 📍Church Street, Tewkesbury GL20 5RZ, UK
- 🕑6:30pm
- 🎫£25 (£5 students and children)

The Power of Paternal Love
- 📅Wed, 12 April 2023
- 📍Crescent Theatre, Birmingham
- 🕑7:00pm
- 🎫from £6

The Power of Paternal Love
- 📅Fri, 14 April 2023
- 📍Crescent Theatre, Birmingham
- 🕑7:00pm
- 🎫from £6

The Power of Paternal Love
- 📅Sat, 15 April 2023
- 📍Crescent Theatre, Birmingham
- 🕑2:00pm
- 🎫from £6

Fiddlers Three
- 📅Fri, 8 September 2023
- 📍Church of King Charles the Martyr, Tunbridge Wells
- 🕑7:00pm
- 🎫£18

Fiddlers Three
- 📅Sun, 17 September 2023
- 📍The Angel Centre, Worcester
- 🕑3:30pm
- 🎫£20