Great performances from the past
Highlights of our 2025 Season
We are grateful to Simon Claiden, photographer, who retains copyright for the 2025 photographs below.
The 2025 Festival was the 73rd Festival and was put together by our musical director, Adrian Butterfield; it took us on a weekend journey from a celebration of Scottish Baroque music on Friday complete with a Ceilidh for those adventurous enough, taking in Bach’s unsurpassed Mass in B Minor on Saturday night, and finally arriving at a Best of Baroque special on Sunday showcasing exciting new choral and orchestral talent.
Concert 1 – Friday, June 6, 2025. Scottish Baroque – a Highland Fling!
We were thrilled to bring Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas to Tilford for the first time. They not only play traditional Scottish tunes beautifully but they arrange them so imaginatively and compose their own new numbers all the time. They have toured the globe for many years and were on a UK tour from the USA. We were honoured that they were able to fit us into their busy schedule. Folk music has been valued by mainstream composers throughout history and the baroque period is no exception.
A cèilidh is a celebratory social event that traditionally includes music, dancing and storytelling. Rachel and Adrian have arranged several of them over the years to mark various special family events so we were incredibly excited to be having one as part of this weekend. The steps are easy to learn and were lots of people to help the beginners on the night. My own memory of the night was the enthusiasm with which the string section of the LHP joined in with the Cèilidh fun.
Performers:
Rachel Brown, flute and recorder
Adrian Butterfield, violin
Oliver Webber, violin
Rachel Byrt, viola
Sarah McMahon, cello
Silas Wollston, harpsichord
With special guests
Alasdair Fraser, violin
and Natalie Haas, cello
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Cèilidh – Friday, June 6, 2025.
Performers:
As per the concert, plus Toby Lord – caller
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Concert 2 – Saturday, June 7, 2025. Bach Mass in B Minor BWV 232
Our central offering on Saturday evening was Bach’s extraordinary B minor Mass. Adrian noted in the programme that, whilst he adores so much of Bach’s music, if he were really pushed to make a single choice of a favourite piece of music then this monumental work would have to be it! We were lucky to have the London based choir, Pegasus, who sang brilliantly and enthusiastically, whilst blending so well with the cultured original instruments of the London Handel Players. Our top rank soloists Ruairi Bowen, Julia Doyle, Daniel Taylor and Ashley Riches also excelled and we were excited to see the main countertenor solo performed by one of Daniel Taylor’s wonderful young Toronto singers, Nick Burns.
Performers:
London Handel Players
Conductor and violin - Adrian Butterfield
Pegasus choir
Soloists
Julia Doyle, soprano
Daniel Taylor, alto
Ruairi Bowen, tenor
Ashley Riches, bass
Nicholas Burns, alto
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Concert 3 – Sunday, June 8, 2025
On Sunday we featured emerging talent with student instrumentalists from the UK and young singers from Canada. They performed repertoire by composers from Italy and Germany, all of whom had a significant influence on Bach’s development as a musician and composer. Providing performing opportunities to the younger generation has always been a central part of the ethos of the Festival from its foundation by Denys Darlow in 1952 and we were delighted to be able to continue this tradition. The arrival of our Canadian choir somewhat stretched our local team of hosts who responded brilliantly with accommodation, food and lifts. It was lovely to be able to meet and spend time with this charming group of young people and we ended with a party on the Sunday night to celebrate a successful Festival. The accommodation of visiting musicians is part of the real meaning of a Festival and we shall continue that into future Festivals.
Performers:
Harmony of Time ensemble
Leader and violin -Sara Matović
Francine Maas – Violin
Alma Balazs – Violin
Matthew Milkey – Violin
Varinia Oyola Rebaza – Viola
Jimena Barrio Briones – Viola
Carlos Villa Contreras – Cello
Felix James Collins – Theorbo
Apolline Khou – Harpsichord
Sam Lee – Double Bass
Toronto Consort choir
Jennifer Wilson, soprano
Sasha Koukarina, soprano
Anaïs Kelsey-Verdecchia, soprano
Teresa Mahon, soprano
Brittany King, soprano
Peter Koniers, alto
Nicholas Burns, alto
Danielle Nicholson, alto
Kerry Bursey, alto/tenor
Shane Hanson, tenor
Edvard Adde, tenor
James Emerson, baritone
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2024
We are grateful to Simon Claiden, photographer, who retains copyright for the 2024 photographs below.
Concert 1 – Friday, June 14, 2024. Students from the Royal College of Music, under the aegis of Adrian Butterfield.
Performers – Apolline Khou, harpsichord/director; Sara Matović, violin soloist; Joseph Lowe, violin soloist; Greta Bommarito, violin soloist; Francine Maas, violin soloist; Jaume Pueyo, viola; Theo Tinkler, cello; Sam Lee, double bass.
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Concert 2 – Saturday, June 15, 2024, JS Bach - St John Passion BWV 245, celebrating the 300th anniversary of the first performance in Leipzig in 1724. The London Handel Players, directed by Adrian Butterfield
Soloists – Charlotte Bowden, soprano; Alexander Chance, alto; Nicholas Mulroy, tenor; Edward Grint, Bass.
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Concert 3 – Sunday, June 16, 2024. JS Bach - Coffee and Peasant Cantatas BWV 211 & BWV 212. The London Handel Players directed by Adrian Butterfield
Soloists – Charlotte Bowden, soprano (2nd Prize, Handel International Singing Competition 2024)
Edward Grint, bass
A concert in memory of Philip and Janet Wardle
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2020
London Handel Players, Joanne Lunn, soprano, Tim Mead, alto, Charles Daniels, tenor, Jeremy Kleeman, bass, directed by Adrian Butterfield
Tilford Bach Festival, September 6th, 2020, JS Bach Cantatas BWV 33, 77 and 164