We are thrilled to welcome the internationally renowned London Handel Players to Portico performing their programme Barbaric Beauty.

From the exotic allure of the orient, the wild rituals of the Moors and Native Americans to the rugged hornpipes of the English and the captivating melancholy of Scottish ballads, folk songs and dances have long held a fascination to the ears of the European musicians. The London Handel Players bring together a wide selection of this rarely-heard music by composers such as Telemann, Vivaldi, Schmelzer, Purcell, Matteis and Rameau.

The London Handel Players

For over twenty years, since making their debut at Handel’s parish church, St. George’s Hanover Square, as part of the London Handel Festival in 2000, the London Handel Players have thrilled audiences across the world with their performances and recordings. They appear regularly at Wigmore Hall and at many of the leading festivals in the UK, Europe and North America, performing baroque chamber music and concertos and collaborating with the world's greatest singers. They have performed across Canada and the United States, making their New York debut at the Frick Museum in 2012 and returning to perform at Carnegie Hall in 2014. Their recent appearances include Spitalfields, London Handel, Tilford Bach, Cork Early Music, Göttingen International Handel, Gregynog, Kings Lynn, Stratford, Newbury Spring, Stour, Halle International Handel, York Early Music and Brighton Early Music Festivals.

Rachel Brown, flute and recorder

Adrian Butterfield, violin

Oliver Webber, violin

Rachel Byrt, viola

Gavin Kibble, cello

Silas Wollston, harpsichord

Supported by Lottery Project Funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland