Are you coming to our Shakespeare in Music Festival fundraising evening here in Hampstead Lane on February 14th?
All details in this post but we would love you to join us to hear about the 2026 Shakespeare in Music festival and how you can be-Friend it.
Delicous cheeses, bubbly and music from Bloomsbury Baroque and the Painted Fall – what better way to spend Valentine’s night?
If you would like to join us, just email me to tell me you are coming.
Meanwhile….
Our 16th century Venice to London evening with the Bellot Ensemble last Thursday was a rave success – and a sell out.
Here are Lucine with her viol da gamba and Daniel with his lute. Edmund and his violin off to the left…
The music whisked us first to the Venice of Barbara Strozzi – and then back north to the London of Purcell, Dowland and Byrd. Edmund’s violin danced through mad frenzies of notes, Daniel’s lute and theorbo tinkled but also reached deep, while Lucine’s voice floated, pure as a flute, above her viol da gamba.
In this short clip Lucine sings a little of Barbara Strozzi’s ‘Che si può fare’ followed by an excerpt from her ‘Amor dormiglione’ accompanied by Daniel’s theorbo and Edmund’s violin.
Moving to London here is their spirited rendition of William Byrd’s ‘John come kiss me now’. Note Edmund’s ever more frenzied violin as you get toward the end. And if you are thinking that his bow is rather shorter than normal, you are right – a short bow makes it easier to play the super fast passages favoured by 16th century composers.
Back in the kitchen I had got a bit carried away by the romance of it all so supper included three dishes by Cristoforo di Messisbugo, Steward of the Household to Cardinal Ippolito d’Este in the early 16th century – responsible for not just the food (and the pacing of the meal so that guests’ digestions did not get too overloaded) but for court etiquette and for all entertainments.
A herb tart which included raisins, currants, figs, walnuts and many spices along with spinach and parnsips….
A Fraccassea Inglese Sopra Strurione o Manzo – otherwise known as spiced brisket which had been cooked long and slowly with onions and mushrooms and more spices in a great deal of Marsala and then ‘dressed’ in its juices and cream….
And an almond tart which had been created for the wedding of Lucrezia Borgia to the cardinal’s brother in 1502, the tangled whirls of fine crispy cappellini representing her golden curls…..
Now what to cook for Nathaniel and La Pompadour at Versailes when they come to visit in February….
Camden Music Trust
This was the first concert in our new collaboration with the Camden Music Trust and we were delighted to have Esther Caplin and Sarah John from the trust as our guests for the evening. I am also delighted to say that because we had a full house, we were able to send £150 (£5 from each of your tickets) off to the Trust the following morning.
This was a fabulous evening musically and gastronomically – thank you Michelle and the Bellot Ensemble!