“Semper Antiquae, Sempre Vivus” by the Guitarte Ensemble

THE GUITARTE Ensemble is performing “Semper Antiquae, Sempre Vivus” on Monday 21st December, at 9pm, in St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Philellinon 27 and Amalias Avenue. Organised by specs ‘n’ arts, the entrance fee is € 12.

For the second consecutive year, the Guitarte Ensemble will fill St. Paul’s with the sound of guitar music in an early music repertoire conceived to celebrate the Christmas spirit. Centred around works by English Renaissance composer John Dowland (1563-1626) adapted to the guitar by Panayiotis Adam and Gilbert Biberian, the concert also includes Italian Renaissance dances and Concerti grossi by A.Vivaldi and G.F.Handel arranged by Paul Gerrits and Nikos Hatzieleftheriou.

Composed by guitarists Nikos Hatzieleftheriou, Christos Faklaris, Frangoulis Karayiannopoulos, Maria Papamichael and Anna Sartzidou (who also sings), with the participation of Christina Polykreti and Nektarios Sakellariou, the Guitarte Ensemble will perform pieces for 2, 3, 4, 5 and… 7 guitars! True to the ensemble’s philosophy of modulating the orchestrational dynamics of performances while simultaneously respecting the way the guitar is played as a solo instrument, the concert proposes a unique approach to Renaissance and Baroque music.

DissensoDuo recital of early music

A RECITAL by the early music ensemble DissensoDuo is being held in St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Philellinon 27 and Amalias Avenue, on Monday 21st December at 8pm. Organised by specs ‘n’ arts, the entrance fee is € 10.

Musicians Yiorgos Samoïlis (baroque violin) and Alexandros Mastichiadis (harpsichord – organ) will be playing a repertoire of early baroque music comprising works by Dario Castello, Heinrich Biber, Pandolfi Mealli and Giovanni Leoni. These 17th and 18th century works belong to the so-called Stylus Phantasticus, where improvisation is a prominent element. At the same time, the duet pays particular attention to the historically-documented interpretation of these works, making for a particularly sensitive rendition of this musical genre, where classicism and improvisation go hand-in hand.

The two Greek musicians met in 2013 during their studies in the Conservatory of Utrecht in the Netherlands. Their contrasting personalities together with their shared interest in early Italian baroque music led to a unique chemistry when performing onstage. DissensoDuo’s most recent public performance was at the renowned Utrecht Early Music Festival in September 2015.

“Cantabo Domino” Christmas Concert

“CANTABO DOMINO”, a Christmas concert with counter-tenor Nikos Spanátis accompanied by Eleni Któna on the harpsichord and organ, is being held at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Philellinon 27 and Amalias Avenue, on Friday 18th December at 8:30pm. Organised by specs ‘n’ arts, the entrance fee is € 10.

The repertoire comprises songs from religious works by Renaissance and Baroque composers, such as John Bull (1562-1628), Alessandro Grandi (1586-1630), Henry Purcell (1659-1695), Georg Fr. Handel (1685-1759) and Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750). These masterpieces are interspersed with Christmas melodies by anonymous composers and old English carols. The performance, particularly appropriate in a church at Christmastide, brings together two distinguished artists with a history of collaboration, ensuring that Nikos Spanátis’ exceptional voice and the gentle sound produced by Eleni Któna on the harpsichord and organ enhance each other rather than compete with one another, creating a rare atmosphere of devotion and joy.