18 January 2012
PRESS RELEASE
The Academy of Ancient Music announces exciting new plans for 2012
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The AAM becomes an Associate Ensemble at the Barbican Centre from September 2012.
The AAM appears as part of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations on 3 June 2012,
performing Handel’s Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks on one of the 10 music
herald barges as part of the River Thames Pageant.
Barbican Associate Ensemble
The Barbican today announces that from September 2012 the Academy of Ancient Music (AAM) will
become Associate Ensemble at the Barbican alongside the Britten Sinfonia.
This new relationship will bring regular period performance into the Barbican’s musical community, with
the AAM presenting regular performances in the Barbican Hall from September 2012. The AAM’s
collaboration with the Centre offers an exciting opportunity for the AAM to reach new audiences and to
expand its work with a range of the world’s finest soloists and directors.
On 26 September 2012 the AAM presents its first concert as an Associate Ensemble at the Barbican, with a
performance of Handel’s Royal Music, including Zadok the Priest and Music for the Royal Fireworks.
Originally written for national and royal celebrations, this music will be put back at the heart of public life
through the AAM’s European summer tour, which includes a performance as part of Her Majesty The
Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the River Thames and concludes with the Barbican concert.
On 29 March 2013 the AAM’s Music Director, Richard Egarr, directs the orchestra in Bach’s St John Passion,
with a great British cast that includes Sarah Connolly, Andrew Kennedy, Christopher Purves and James
Gilchrist.
AAM Emeritus Director and founder Christopher Hogwood returns to conduct on 26 May 2013 in a
performance of Handel’s little-known opera Imeneo with soloists Lucy Crowe, David Daniels, Matthew
Rose and Stephan Loges. This performance is a continuation of Hogwood’s acclaimed cycle of Handel
operas with the AAM at the Barbican.
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
At high water on the afternoon of 3 June 2012 up to a thousand boats will muster on the River Thames in
preparation for Her Majesty The Queen to lead the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant. Ten music herald
barges will be interspersed through the procession, and the Academy of Ancient Music will be positioned
on The Edwardian (barge 2). The AAM will perform Handel’s Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks.
The repertoire is particularly fitting: the Water Music Suites were composed for a similar Royal procession
which King George 1 took in 1717, and the Music for the Royal Fireworks was written for George II in 1749.
On one of the other music barges, ten of Britain’s most renowned film composers each contribute a new
work using the original titles of Handel's Water Music for inspiration. This new suite of music will be
performed for the first time by an ensemble of 15 live musicians. Composers include Anne Dudley, Graham
Fitkin, Gavin Greenaway, Christopher Gunning, Adrian Johnston, John Lunn, Julian Nott, Jocelyn Pook,
Stephen Warbeck and Debbie Wiseman.
The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant celebrates Her Majesty’s sixty years of service by magnificently
bringing the Thames to life; making it joyously full with boats, resounding with clanging bells, tooting
horns and sounding whistles; recalling both its royal heritage and its heyday as a working, bustling river.
For more information on The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee please visit:
www.thamesdiamondjubileepageant.org
Michael Garvey, the AAM’s Chief Executive, commented: “The AAM’s Association at the Barbican
Centre and our appearance as part of the Jubilee celebrations will crown a spectacular year for us. From
April 2012 we will also receive regular Arts Council funding for the first time — a wonderful testimony to
the orchestra’s artistic excellence and vision for the future.
Our new Association at the Barbican gives us a world-class London home, and our collaboration with the
Centre will allow us to give ever-more ambitious performances and to connect with new audiences in
stimulating ways. We’re very excited about regularly performing classical and baroque music at the heart
of one of the world’s most diverse and vibrant artistic communities.”
Angela Dixon, Head of Music at the Barbican Centre, commented: “I am delighted to be welcoming two
new Associate Ensembles to the Barbican family: both the Academy of Ancient Music and Britten Sinfonia
have built their reputations on excellence and innovation and these partnership will open up many
opportunities. AAM have a history of inspirational performances at the Barbican and we are in the
enviable position of being able to increase their number. They have a strong team and their collaborative
nature makes the artistic possibilities extremely exciting.”
Helen Lax, Regional Director, Arts Council England, East, said: “These high profile roles for the
Academy of Ancient Music and Britten Sinfonia confirm the orchestras' positioning in the top echelon of
international ensembles. These positions will unlock exciting new opportunities for artistic collaborations,
audiences, donors and sponsors, and the Barbican's collaborative approach towards artistic planning will
hugely benefit both orchestras. We are very proud to support these orchestras and the exceptional work
they produce.”
Listings for Barbican Concerts:
26 September 2012
AAM/Choir of the AAM/Egarr
Handel Coronation Anthems
Water Music
Music for the Royal Fireworks
‘Hallelujah’ and ‘Amen’ from Messiah
29 March 2013
AAM/Choir of the AAM/Egarr
Connolly/Kennedy/Purves/Gilchrist/Rose
Bach St John Passion
26 May 2013
AAM/Choir of the AAM/Hogwood
Bottone/Crowe/Daniels/Pratto/Loges
Handel Imeneo
Notes to Editors:
About the AAM
Founded in 1973 by Christopher Hogwood, the AAM has since performed live on every continent except
Antarctica and released over 300 CDs. Though international in its outlook, the AAM is rooted ‘at home’ in
London and Cambridge, where it has a regular season and promotes some of its most ambitious and
innovative music making. Renowned for the quality of its musicianship and its dedication to fresh,
historically-informed and engaged performances of baroque and classical music, the orchestra has won
Grammy, Brit, Edison, MIDEM and Gramophone Awards.
In 2006 Richard Egarr succeeded the ensemble’s founder Christopher Hogwood as Music Director. Since
then the Choir of the AAM has been founded, winning the Choir of the Year Award at the 2008 Beijing
Classical Elites, and the orchestra has recorded an acclaimed complete cycle of Handel’s instrumental
music Opp.1-7. Touring highlights have included the first-ever performances in China of JS Bach’s
complete Brandenburg Concertos and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. For further information on the AAM visit
www.aam.co.uk
Barbican Centre
The architecturally renowned Barbican Centre is one of the world's leading arts centres, founded and run
by the City of London Corporation. It encompasses dance, film, music, theatre, visual arts and creative
learning who work together in creating the model of tomorrow's international arts and learning centre.
Committed to providing a world-class programme, which inspires, challenges and amazes its audiences,
the Barbican is also home to Resident Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Associate Orchestra, BBC
Symphony Orchestra, two Associate Ensembles, the Academy of Ancient Music and Britten Sinfonia,
Associate Producer Serious and a range of Artistic Associates. www.barbican.org.uk.
For further press information please contact:
Rebecca Driver Media Relations
Tel: 020 7448 5336
Email: rebecca@rdmr.co.uk or Isobel@rdmr.co.uk