Brading Roman Villa

Discover insights into Roman life in Britain with this unique talk and tour of the beautifully preserved mosaic floors and extensive collection of Roman archaeology – along with a rare opportunity to hear live music in the historical setting of Brading Roman Villa (one of the finest Roman sites in the UK).

After a talk led by Pat Barber, join for a recital presented by Kinga Ujszaszi (violin) and Kristiina Watt (lute) which explores the turbulent musical landscape of 17th-century Italy. This was a time when compositional and instrumental styles and techniques were changing at arguably the fastest rate in Western classical music history. Wars raged between the various city-states, and plagues swept across the region at regular intervals.

From this backdrop emerged a uniquely instrumental style: the stylus phantasticus. This free and unrestrained approach to composition is bound to nothing—neither to words nor to a fixed melodic subject—leaving plenty of space for performers to improvise and to make each performance distinctively unique.

The museum is closing for this Fairest Isle Festival event, and with homemade cake and coffee included in the ticket, this is an event you will not want to miss!