It was Baroque Night at Highgate's boutique classical music festival on Monday (December 2) and a capacity audience crowded into St Anne's Church for a memorable experience.

The opening night of the Highgate International Chamber Music Festival featured violinist Rachel Podger, lutist Sergio Bucheli, Jonathan Byers and Ashok Clouda on cello, and Tom Foster on harpsichord.

The first Festival, twelve years ago, only lasted a weekend, but it now extends over an entire week, and as co-founder Ashok Klouda noted in his welcoming remarks, this is the first time they have had a Baroque Night.

A capacity audience at St Anne's Highgate was treated to a programme of Handel, Bach and Vivaldi among other composers.A capacity audience at St Anne's Highgate was treated to a programme of Handel, Bach and Vivaldi among other composers. (Image: Courtesy of HICMF)

And what a night! The carefully balanced programme included works by Bach, Handel, Gabrielli, Kapsberger and a fabulously entertaining piece by the outrageously gifted but rather neglected Heinrich Biber (Sonata Representativa).

The work was preceded by a challenge from violinist Rachel Podger to “spot the farmyard animals”!

Threaded through the concert were four of Handel’s beautiful German Arias, sung by talented soprano Daisy Bevan. A magnificent, sensitive voice, well supported by the quartet, she seemed a little shy at first but soon gained in confidence and won much acclaim from the enthusiastic and knowledgeable audience.

The opening piece was Bach’s violin Sonata in G – the embodiment of many people’s notion of Baroque Chamber Music. The four movements oscillated between mournful, lively and breathless - indicating the excellent performances ahead.

The mood of the evening was enhanced by lighting the altar area a sombre red – nicely setting off the black, gold and red of the harpsichord. Foster clearly enjoyed his solo spot with the popular Harmonious Blacksmith. 

Another highlight that entranced the audience was Gabrielli’s Canon e due Violoncelli.  Ashok, playing a three-hundred-year-old instrument, worked beautifully with the hugely entertaining and lively Jonathon Byers, following his lead, but one bar behind.

Earlier on, we were treated to an almost ethereal performance by Sergio Bucheli of Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger’s Libro primo Intavolatura di lauto. An amazing piece of work, full of mood changes and surprises. Sergio is a master of the lute, and his contribution to the evening was unmissable.

St Anne’s is a lovely venue with a fine acoustic, but its limitations were apparent, especially during the interval: circulation space was limited: and an older audience need more than two loos!

But all players worked well together and clearly loved the music that they delivered so beautifully. 

Got to the festival's website www.chambermusicfestival.co.uk to read up on the excellent education outreach programme in Haringey’s primary schools.

The festival runs until December 8. All concerts take place in St Anne’s Church, 106 Highgate West Hill, London, N6.