Continuo Connect — Concert // The Vauxhall Band: The Eighteenth-Century London Flautist

Laura Piras - Flute, Anna Brigham - Violin, Carina Drury - Cello, David Wright - Harpsichord

A small pocket of creative activity by specialist instrument-makers such as the Stanesby, Potter and Urquhart families, led to a vast output of finely crafted, unique flutes in London, examples of which are housed at St Cecilia’s Hall.

The Vauxhall Band perform music inspired by the stories of the people who made the flutes, performed on them, by composers associated with Vauxhall Gardens and London, including Thomas Arne and Handel.

The programme also contains some intriguing lesser-known works by composers associated with London. Lewis Granom was a flautist and composer. He travelled extensively in Europe and his works reflect a wide influence; Carl Weiss was a flautist at the court of King George III (himself a flautist). Weiss dedicated his trio sonatas to Willoughby Bertie, the 4th Earl of Abingdon, who was a patron of the arts and also a flautist; James Oswald was a Scottish composer who was appointed Chamber Composer to King George III. We have chosen his ‘The Stock Gilliflower’ as this beautiful, highly-perfumed flower was grown in Vauxhall Gardens in the eighteenth century.

Thomas Arne - Trio Sonata in G major Op.3 No.2
Lewis Granom - Flute Sonata in G major Op.1 No.1
Carl Weiss - Trio Sonata in No.5 in B flat major
James Oswald - Airs for the Seasons - ‘The Stock Gilliflower’
Handel - Trio Sonata in B minor Op.2 No.1