In the world of Baroque and early music Emma Kirkby and Jakob Lindberg are truly legendary. Emma, the voice of so much of the late 20th century re-discovery of early music; Jakob the foremost lutanist of our day and a world expert on John Dowland.

So we are really thrilled that on the 21st January they are both coming to Hampstead Lane to play and sing John Dowland songs for us.

Their programme, Time Stands Still, will include lute songs & solos by John Dowland and others in England and France circa 1600

SUPPER:

To celebrate Mr Dowland, the concert will be followed by a supper which might have been eaten around the time of Queen Elizabeth's death in 1603. Included in the price of your ticket.

THE ARTISTS:

Emma Kirkby

Emma feels lucky in many ways: that she met Renaissance vocal polyphony while still at school, that she studied Classics and sang with the Schola Cantorum at Oxford University, and, best of all, that there she encountered “historical” instruments known to Renaissance and Baroque composers, the lute, harpsichord, early piano, wind and string instruments, whose sound and human scale drew from her an instinctive response.

Beginning as a schoolteacher and amateur singer, Emma was soon invited to perform professionally with pioneer groups. From that time, supported by lessons with a wonderful teacher, Jessica Cash, she formed long partnerships in Britain and abroad, with individual players, ensembles and record companies, so that now her voice and style are recognized worldwide.

In the UK she was made a Dame in 2007, and in 2011 received the Queen’s Medal for Music. Astonished by all this, she is nevertheless glad of the recognition it implied, for a way of music-making that values ensemble, clarity and stillness above volume and display; and she is excited to see the explosion of young chamber groups, singers, instrumentalists or both, here and in so many other countries, giving fresh life to centuries of their heritage.

Emma has known Jakob almost from the time both of them began to perform in London, as members of various pioneer groups. Their duo partnership started in earnest around 2000, especially with the chance to record for the Swedish company BIS. They have toured widely, in Europe, Japan, USA and Australia, often combining concerts with master classes.

Emma enjoys listening to, and sometimes working with, some of Jakob’s highly accomplished and very happy former students at the Royal College.

www.emmakirkby.com/

Jakob Lindberg

Jakob Lindberg was born in Djursholm in Sweden and developed his first passionate interest in music through the Beatles. He started to play the guitar and soon became interested in the classical repertoire including the lute. After reading music at Stockholm University he went to London to study at the Royal College of Music, where he further developed his knowledge of the lute repertoire deciding towards the end of his studies to concentrate on renaissance and baroque music. He is now one of the most prolific performers in this field.

Jakob has made numerous recordings for BIS, many of which are pioneering in that they present a wide range of music on CD for the first time. He has brought Scottish lute music to public attention, demonstrated the beauty of the Italian repertoire for chitarrone and recorded chamber music by Vivaldi, Haydn and Boccherini on period instruments. He is the first lutenist to have recorded the complete solo lute music by John Dowland and his recording of Bach's music for solo lute is considered to be one of the most important readings of these works. 

An active continuo player on the theorbo and arch lute, Jakob has worked with many well known English ensembles. He is also in much demand as an accompanist and has given recitals with Emma Kirkby, Ann Sofie von Otter, Nigel Rogers and Ian Partridge.

It is particularly through his live solo performances that Jakob has become known as one of the finest lutenists in the world today, with concerts all over the globe from Tokyo and Beijing in the East to San Francisco and Mexico City in the West.  Jakob also teaches at the Royal College of Music in London where he succeeded Diana Poulton as professor of lute in 1979.

www.musicamano.com