Media Release
For immediate
release
December 23, 2005
Red Priest ensemble gets wildly Baroque at The Banff Centre, January 12
Red Priest presents Pirates of the Baroque – Thursday, January 12, 8:00 p.m.
Margaret Greenham Theatre, The Banff Centre
Tickets: Adult $19, Student/Senior $17
The Banff Centre Box Office: 1-800-413-8368 or 403-762-6301
Britain’s Red Priest has been described as wild, deliciously twisted, and a barrel of laughs — not the typical adjectives applied to a Baroque ensemble that plays familiar pieces like Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. On January 12, Red Priest will present Pirates of the Baroque at The Banff Centre’s Margaret Greenham Theatre. Promising to ignite the audience’s imagination, the show will draw parallels between swashbuckling rogue pirates and the most learned of Baroque composers. With this alternative look at one of the most colorful periods in musical history, the ensemble will confirm their creativity, compelling stagecraft, virtuosity, and thorough understanding of Baroque music.
Pirates of the Baroque will feature both examples of piracy and plagiarism from the Baroque era, such as works by Telemann, who regularly stole tunes from gypsy musicians, and Handel, whose piece Largo bears an uncanny resemblance to a selection from a Reinhard Keiser opera, as well as Red Priest’s own genius hijacking of music from the great masters. Formed in 1997, Red Priest is named after the flame-haired composer and priest, Antonio Vivaldi. The original Red Priest of Venice, Vivaldi is a case study on Baroque extravagance.
Red Priest includes Piers Adams, one of the world’s greatest virtuosi on the recorder, cellist Angela East, and Howard Beach, heralded for his wide-ranging keyboard style. The ensemble will be joined by guest Baroque violinist David Greenberg, a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral musician, and folk fiddler. Individually expert musicians, together Red Priest performs largely from memory, allowing for immense freedom and interaction within their programs. Incorporating a myriad of Baroque sources, the group fuses 18th century works with modern sound, light, and video technology, the result is said to be “Like crossing a Wigmore Hall recital with a Guinness-soaked session at an Irish bar…”
Tickets for all Banff Centre events are available through The Banff Centre Box Office: 1-800-413-8368 or 403-762-6301. The Centre’s Playbill Series continues with: African Guitar Summit (January 14); The Shanghai Circus (January 22); Red Sky Performance Theatre (January 27); Eric Bibb and Linda Tillery (January 29), and much more.
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High resolution downloadable images of Red Priest
More information on The Banff Centre’s Playbill Series
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Media Contacts | |
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Jill Sawyer Media and Communications Officer The Banff Centre 403.762.6475 |
Pam Challoner
Writer/Editor The Banff Centre 403-762-6707 |
