Concerts 2013  

Thursday 19th September

St Boniface Concert Society, Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross, Crediton, Devon

Britannia triumphans

Saturday 21st September

Leighton Buzzard Music Club, Leighton Buzzard Theatre, Lake Street, LU7 1RX

Music from the Land of Don Quixote

Review: ‘The first concert of the season was intriguing, made the toes tap, and taught me much about Spanish country music and baroque instruments. I thank you Galliarda.  The evening was a very pleasant meander through largely unexplored territory.’ Judi Moore.

Saturday 5th October

Newark Music Club, Palace Theatre, Appletongate, Newark NG24 1JY

Britannia triumphans

Saturday 19th October

Horsham Music Circle, The Drill Hall, Denne Road, Horsham West Sussex, RH12 1JF

Music from the Land of Don Quixote

Review: ‘Catalan, Basque and Old Castilian folksongs, carols and airs were enchantingly sung by Sara Stowe; and how could even Don Quixote himself have resisted her most expressive and evocative performance of Purcell’s ‘From Rosie Bowers’.  We are very fortunate in Horsham to be able to listen to performers of such high calibre and international standing in local venues.’ Catherine Andrews for the West Sussex County Times.

Sunday 20th October

Watford, Octagon Music Society, The Clarendon Muse, Watford Grammar School for Boys, Rickmansworth Road, Watford WD18 7JA

A Tale of Two Cities

Review: ‘Soprano Sara Stowe delivered her songs with an unaffected directness and rose with fire and passion to the challenges of the cantata, ‘Le Depit Genereux’, to Wendy Hancock fell the brunt of the instrumental work on flute and recorders to which she brought unfailing musicality and variety. The theorbo was, certainly visually, the most eye-catching instrument, with its high neck stretching skywards.’ Anthony Bramley-Harker – Octagon Music Society.

Monday 21st October

Luton Music Club, Music Room, Putteridge Bury campus, Hitchin Road, Luton, Bedfordshire LU2 8LE

Britannia Triumphans

Friday 25th October

Hoylake Chamber Concert Series, Westbourne Community Hall Westbourne Road in West Kirby, CH47 4DQ

Music from the Land of Don Quijote

Wednesday 30th October

The Evesham and District Music Club, Evesham Arts Centre, Victoria Avenue, Evesham WR11 4QH

Britannia triumphans

Wednesday 4th December

Open University at Milton Keynes Theatre,

‘Josep i Maria’, Christmas programme

Friday 6th December

The Peter Gould Music Trust, Coed Ceinach, Brynhafod, Cardigan SA43 1NS Wale

‘Josep i Maria’, Christmas programme

Wednesday 11th December

Kendal Midday Concert Club, Kendal Town Hall, Highgate, Kendal, LA9 4DL

Josep i Maria’, Christmas programme

Review: ‘…the audience was so captivated by the style, the quality and general ambience of [Galliarda’s] music-making. … It was delightful fare; we had extremely high-performance levels from the elegantly attired musicians, imaginative stage lighting and programme content that possibly was outside the experience of many.  Humorous readings from eighteenth century texts, all entertainingly instructive, illuminated the occasion.’ Brian Paynes for the Westmorland Gazette.

Concerts 2014

Friday 7th February

SASRA Music and Arts, Egremont, Cumbria,

A Tale of Two Cities

Thursday 18th February

Boston Concert Club, Lincs.,

A Tale of Two Cities

Saturday 8th March

Live at St Wilfrid’s, St Wilfrid’s Church, Church Lane, Grappenhall Village, Warrington, Cheshire WA4 3EP

A Tale of Two Cities

Sunday 9th March

Dunblane Cathedral Arts Guild, The Cross, Dunblane, Perthshire FK15 0AQ

A Tale of Two Cities

Friday 14th March

Scunthorpe and North Lincs Concert Society

The Invenio Academy, 2 Foxhills Rd., Scunthorpe, North Lincs. DN15 8LJ

Britannia Triumphans

Review: ‘What a delightful programme. It was extremely interesting to hear and see baroque instruments, and Sara’s singing was beautiful. Ian’s historical readings certainly brought a titter from the audience, and it was altogether a unique evening of music making.

Asking the audience join in the last item of the programme was a first for us, and everyone went home happy and smiling. Just what music is all about.’ Letter from Dena Clatworthy, Secretary of the Scunthorpe and North Lincolnshire Concert Society, 16th March, 2014.

Friday 21st March

Sittingbourne Music Society, Bourne Hall, Sittingbourne Community College, Swanstree Avenue, Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 4NL

A Tale of Two Cities

Saturday 22nd March

Sevenoaks Music Club, Ship Theatre, Walthamstow Hall School, Sevenoaks, TN13 3UL

Britannia Triumphans

Wednesday 30th April

Saddleworth Chamber Concerts Society, Millgate Arts Centre, Delph, Oldham OL3 5DY

Saturday 27th September

St Edmund’s Church, Holme Pierrepont, Adbolton Lane, Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham NG12 2LU

Music from the Land of Don Quijote – a programme of Spanish and Catalan music.

Friday 24th October

Trinity Methodist Church & Community Centre, Church Terrace, Wisbech, Cambs., PE13 1BL

A Tale of Two Cities – a programme of English and French music.

Friday 12th December

The Theatre Royal, Washington Street, Workington, Cumbria CA14 3AW, ‘A Merry Wassail’

Concerts 2015

Friday 24th October

Trinity Methodist Church & Community Centre, Church Terrace, Wisbech, Cambs., PE13 1BL

Friday 12th December

The Theatre Royal, Washington Street, Workington, Cumbria CA14 3AW, ‘A Merry Wassail

Thursday 29th January

Derby Royal Hospital, Uttoxeter New Road, Derby DE22 3NE in the King’s Treatment Centre.  Tel: 01332 340131. Admission free.

Friday 30th January

St John’s Arts and Recreation Centre, Old Harlow, CM17 OAJ
Galliarda presents ‘Britannia Triumphans’: a programme of English music.

Wednesday 18 November

Galliarda – Mediterranean Temperament Concert sponsored by Mansfield Palace Music Society at the Crescent Centre, Mansfield, 18 November 2015.

Review:  I thoroughly enjoyed this concert given by the musicians of Galliarda, performing a varied and imaginative selection of 17th and 18th Century music from Spain, Italy and France.   Sara Stowe, singing in the sweet natural style of the period, charmed us with a moving performance of songs from these Mediterranean countries, songs modulating through moods of romantic yearning, the coming of Spring, the chirping of birds, and devotional love for the Virgin and Child.   The theorbo provided a lovely basso continuo, playing the bass and chords, for a trio sonata for flute and bass viol by Leclair.

Between items we were entertained by extracts from the writings of travellers of the period to Mediterranean countries. They were typical Brits, suspicious of foreign customs and horrified by the unhygienic and squalid sleeping arrangements they had to endure.

James Ward