(Source: London Festival of Baroque Music)

War of Words: fencing in a new arena

London Festival of Baroque Music

Saturday 14^th May 2016, 19.30

St John’s, Smith Square,

London SW1P 3HA 

Innovative musical ensemble Monteverdi String Band bring a 17^th-century duel to life in an evening of music, poetry and historical swordsmanship.

“Easily the most emotionally powerful, searching and communicative experience of this kind of music that I’ve witnessed” – David Vickers

… always let your eyes be on your enemies face – so wrote Joseph Swetnam in his fencing treatise of 1617. In 1624, an audience of Venetian noblemen, every one of whom would have looked his enemy in the eye and lived to tell the tale, witnessed a performance of Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, Claudio Monteverdi’s breathtaking musical setting of a brutal sword-fight between star-crossed lovers. The battle-hardened guests were doubtless impressed by the sword-play, but by the end of the evening were left weeping with emotion.

This tragic tale is re-imagined here in its original carnival context by the Monteverdi String Band, directed by Oliver Webber; they are joined by international singers Nicholas Mulroy, Simon Wall and Faye Newton in a powerful production by Karolina Sofulak, with poetry, dramatic lighting and rapier-fighting inspired by the 17^th-century Venetian courtly duel.

British Fencing Ticket offer

We are pleased to be able to offer British Fencing members a discount of £3 on ticket purchases for this Monteverdi String Band performance.

To book with this offer, please visit http://www.lfbm.org.uk/war-of-words/ and enter “BRITFEN” into the promotional code box, or call the box office on 020 7222 1061 and quote “British Fencing”.

(Please note that no other offer can be used in conjunction with this one.)