CANZONA
Monteverdi Vespers of 1610
Bristol Cathedral
Saturday, 20th March 2010
CANZONA was formed in 1992 and comprises some of this country's leading players of period instruments.
The versatility of its director Theresa Caudle, who plays both the violin and cornett, creates the stimulus for a flexible line-up
of string and wind instruments and many of Canzona's concerts are as a chamber group. They are often joined by a singer and have
performed with many distinguished soloists including James Bowman and Peter Harvey. The players of Canzona have a particular passion
for 17th century music, but whatever they are playing, from Monteverdi to Mozart, they make every effort to play on appropriate
instruments for the period. During 2003 and 2004, Canzona was the Resident Ensemble at Magdalen College, Oxford, and gave a
series of concerts and workshops there.
Canzona is frequently expanded to orchestral proportions and has performed with many outstanding choirs and conductors
including Stephen Layton, both with Polyphony and the Holst Singers, with whom they have given performances of Messiah and
Bach's Christmas Oratorio, B Minor Mass and St. John and St. Matthew Passions at St. John's Smith Square,
King's College Cambridge, Salisbury Cathedral and Romsey Abbey.
Canzona also has a strong association with The Leith Hill Musical Festival in Surrey, conducted by Brian Kay, in which it has
performed Monteverdi's Vespers, Handel's Messiah and Bach's Magnificat, Brandenburg Concerto No.3, and
St. John and St. Matthew Passions. Other engagements have included a performance with Bristol Bach Choir of
Bach's B Minor Mass at Wells Cathedral; and appearances at the Royal
Festival Hall, the Three Choirs Festival, the Spitalfields Festival, St.Albans Cathedral, Blackburn Cathedral, Douai Abbey,
the Bradford Festival Choral Society, Merton College Oxford, Trinity College Cambridge, St Martin in the Fields and St.
George's, Hanover Square.
Theresa Caudle's recording (with Canzona) of 17th century Italian sonatas "Violino o Cornetto" is due to be released
on the Nimbus label later this year.