Concerto Copenhagen makes its Scottish debut as Ensemble in Residence at the Lammermuir Festival

The Collegiate Church of St Mary the Virgin

Concerto Copenhagen, led by Lars Ulrik Mortensen, will be making its Scottish debut on Monday 9 September 2024 when it gives the first of four concerts as Ensemble in Residence at the Lammermuir Festival, the first ensemble that the festival has invited from outside the UK.

All four concerts are in St Mary’s Church, Haddington. The first focuses on Dietrich Buxtehude and composers in his circle, with names – Tunder, Erben, Kirchhoff, Schmelzer, Weckmann – that are probably unfamiliar but help us understand the musical culture. Their second concert, Stylus Phantasticus focuses on Heinrich Biber, along with Buxtehude, Schmelzer and more, then focus turns to Georg Muffat (whose ancestors were Scots named Moffat!), with four sonatas (in fact they are more like concerti grossi) from his Armonico Tributo. 

Finally, they focus on violinist Johan Helmich Roman, young Swedish violinist who left the German orientated musical scene of Stockholm and came to London where, with Handel newly arrived from Rome, musical taste was much more Italian. He played in Handel’s orchestra and met composers from all over Europe, returning to Stockholm in 1721 where he worked in the Royal court for the rest of his career.

Concerto Copenhagen’s concerts take place in The Collegiate Church of St Mary the Virgin, one of the great ecclesiastical buildings of mediaeval Scotland, founded in 1380 and known for centuries as The Lamp of Lothian. Severely damaged in the 16th Century, after the Reformation only the nave was used as a parish church, with the choir and tower remaining roofless.  It was finally restored to its former glory in the 1970s, and is Scotland’s longest church as well as one of its most beautiful, with a wonderfully warm, resonant acoustic.

And there is more! The festival’s delights range from Veronique Gens in concert to Scottish Opera in Britten’s Albert Herring.

Full details from the festival’s website.