Musica Britannica

The year 2007 will be a »British« year in Potsdam-Sanssouci as we invite you on a musical journey to the empire of the English kings and queens, a journey in which the familiar will be presented along with the seldom-heard and the unknown. The broad diversity of today's British musical culture is deeply rooted in strong traditions and is being reflected in the festival by the wide range of participating artists and their selected programmes. World-wide renowned stars of Early music, outstanding Modern music performers, trend-setters and newcomers as well as much acclaimed leads of the British jazz scene are invited. The exciting musical journey will take you through the centuries: From the oldest preserved English written music notation via 17th century Masque Music, compositions of a George Frideric Handel or English Baroque operas to folk songs and works of the »English musical renaissance«, the journey carries on to improvisations, inspired by folk music, to avant-garde music that relates to traditional motives, to film music and jazz. British music culture has traditionally been characterised by its modernity.

We are pleased to present, among others, the following artists in 2007: The Monteverdi Choir and The English Baroque Soloists with Sir John Eliot Gardiner and The Sixteen under the direction of Harry Christophers are among England's world-renowned Early music interpreters. Along with them we have invited The King's Singers, the outstanding cellist Steven Isserlis and the wonderful Belcea Quartet. Evelyn Tubb, accompanied by Anthony Rooley, sings »Mad Songs« from the time of John Dowland, while musicians from the Kammerakademie Potsdam and Kelvin Thomas perform a modern counterpart with Peter Maxwell Davies' »Songs for a Mad King«. Les Witches presents a musical-culinary concert, and Concerto Caledonia promises a lively encounter with Scottish Baroque music. The Ensemble Concordia and Robin Blaze have prepared musical settings of »Lachrimae« from past and present, whereas Elizabeth Kenny with her ensemble The Masque Project and soloists such as Sophie Daneman, William Purefoy, James Gilchirst and Roderick Williams present Masque Music from the 17th century. Equally appealing are the arrangements of Scottish and Welsh folk songs by Haydn, Beethoven and others commissioned by George Thomson, interpreted by the Haydn-Trio Eisenstadt and Lorna Anderson. The Choir of Clare College (Cambridge), one of today's best university choruses, is a reminder of England's rich, unbroken choral music tradition.

Opera lovers can look forward to two important highlights of the festival programme at the historical Palace Theatre in the New Palace, Sanssouci: John Frederick Lampe's »The Dragon of Wantley«, »A Burlesque Opera«, will be performed in an international joint production with the »Opera Restor'd London« under the direction of Gary Cooper with the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin. Henry Purcell's semi-opera »King Arthur« with the Lautten Compagney Berlin under the direction of Wolfgang Katschner is a joint production of the Händel-Festspiele Halle, the Goethe-Theater Bad Lauchstädt, the Festwochen Herrenhausen, the Festival Bayreuther Barock, the Festival Kissinger Winterzauber and the Theatre Royal Bury St. Edmunds.

»Jazz in the Garden« will be a select event in the New Garden, that appeals to all senses: The visitors are whisked away to the enchanting world of this Royal garden. They are invited to see and to listen, to promenade and to enjoy culinary delights British and German artists will present jazz in the atmospheric illuminated park. Among them are: The BIG Chris Barber Band, Tim Garland's Lighthouse Trio, the Kathleen Willison Trio and jazz soloists of the Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg. In the much favoured open-air concerts with Baroque fireworks in Sanssouci Park, English Baroque music by Handel, Arne, Boyce and others will be staged. The final concert with »Pomp and Circumstance«, »Rule Britannia« and other works is a true »Last Night of the Proms« in Sanssouci.