Wild Men of the Baroque
Sun 13 Sept
|St Andrew's Church
Virtuoso musicians Piers Adams and David Wright take us on a journey through the wild side of the baroque era with some extraordinary music by little known 17th century composers in the ‘Phantasticus’ style, alongside an array of high-baroque masterworks.
Time & Location
13 Sept 2026, 15:00 – 16:40
St Andrew's Church, 41 Church Ln, Eaton, Norwich NR4 6NW, UK
About the Event
Baroque music revels in the extravagant. The very word baroque implies the bizarre, irregular and over-the-top, and the musicians who created this extraordinary repertoire were often true pioneers: virtuoso performers and composers constantly searching for new ways to astonish the ear and move the soul. Far from treating musical scores as sacred texts, they improvised, embellished, borrowed and rearranged with abandon, drawing inspiration equally from courtly sophistication, popular dance and street music.
Known as the “modern day pied piper”, Piers Adams captivates audiences with his charismatic stage presence and recorder playing brilliance. His playing is matched by the dazzling artistry of harpsichordist David Wright.
Today's programme celebrates some of the wildest and most inventive of these musical spirits, including music by Corelli, Handel, Telemann, Castello, Bull, Uccellini, Marini, Van Eyck, Pandolfi, Royer and Biber.
“Superhuman virtuosity, a laughing recklessness and style you can't buy…”
— GRAMOPHONE