Passacaglia

Passacaglia is one of Britain's best-loved baroque chamber ensembles. For many years the group has enjoyed a reputation for its engaging and charismatic performances, featuring the unique sound of recorders, flutes, viola da gamba and harpsichord. They have received particular acclaim for their insightful interpretations of early French repertoire, as well as the enduringly popular music of Handel and Telemann, which regularly features in their programmes. Recently the ensemble has also been working with violinist Oliver Webber, opening up a wealth of classic baroque repertoire including early seventeenth century Italian music and JS Bach's Musical Offering.

As well as critically acclaimed performances at the Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room, Passacaglia has played at most of the UK's biggest festivals, including the Brighton, York and Beverley Early Music Festivals, Norfolk and Norwich Festival and the Three Choirs Festival. They have visited many music societies and clubs across the British Isles, and toured in Scandinavia, Ireland, America and Europe. Passacaglia has featured in many BBC radio programmes and broadcasts, and on worldwide radio networks including WDR Köln Radio, the European Broadcasting Union and WFMT Radio, Chicago. They have also recorded two discs for Linn Records: Telemann: Chamber Music (CKD170) and Boismortier: Suites and Sonatas (CKD 204). Their Boismortier recording was given the full five stars by Classic FM Magazine and hailed as 'an outstanding artistic success' by Music Week Magazine.

Their latest CD - a collection of beautiful baroque chamber music by the Parisian composer Louis-Antoine Dornel on the Naxos label, featuring guest artist Dan Laurin - is now available in record shops and in the online shop.

Passacaglia regularly work with guest artists Dan Laurin (recorders), Julia Gooding (soprano), Christopher Suckling (cello) and Eligio Quinteiro (lutes) on a wide range of colourful and entertaining programmes.

In the press

'Clarity, crispness and enthusiasm that perfectly match the spirit of the music'
Daily Telegraph

'I fell in love with this disc at first hearing... there are so many good things to savour, not least the maturity and natural ease of Passacaglia's chamber music making'
Classic FM magazine (5 stars)

‘Outstanding...Passacaglia remain one of my favourite instrumental groups’
Early Music Review

‘Each a superb Musician, they form a tight, sensitive ensemble that plays with great passion...Passacaglia played the seven musical vignettes like seasoned storytellers recounting a good yarn’
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Musicians

Passacaglia has a flexible line-up that includes regular guest musicians Dan Laurin (recorder), Julia Gooding (soprano), Eligio Quinteiro (theorbo & guitar) and Christopher Suckling (cello), as well as core members Annabel Knight, Louise Bradbury, Oliver Webber, Reiko Ichise and Robin Bigwood. Find out more on the Musicians page.

Passacaglia Shop

The new Passacaglia on-line shop is up and running. You can buy copies of all our CDs, including the great new Dornel disc on Naxos, and we send all over the world. Visit the Recordings page for full details of the CDs on offer.

"Dear Mr Handel..."

Catch us in Maidenhead on Thursday 7th May at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts. Passacaglia commemorates 250 years since Handel's death with a fascinating programme exploring the long-distance friendship between the two great Baroque 'Georges': messrs Handel and Telemann.

In a programme entitled 'Dear Mr Handel...', Passacaglia will play trio sonatas and solos by these two ever popular composers whose lively correspondence reveals a shared love of not only harmony but horticulture too.

Audio

Click here to launch passacaglia.com's Audio Player window. It contains high quality mp3 excerpts from all of Passacaglia's acclaimed CDs, and you can keep it open whilst you browse this and other sites.