Musick in Manchester 1744/45 recreates the first ever public concert series known to have been given in Manchester, prefiguring the remarkable musical tradition that accompanied Manchester’s development into one of Europe’s leading industrial cities. Remarkable, and until now underrepresented, the series includes sixteen concert programmes, which survive in a literary transcript by John Harland written a century later in 1844. Through research by Dr Pauline Nobes, many works can be identified directly, and we also utilise Manchester’s archives, most notably the extraordinary collections of Newman Flower and Cardinal Ottoboni, housed at Manchester’s Henry Watson Library, bringing to light a significant amount of neglected music.

Reconstructed Programme from 28th May 1745

George Frideric Handel (1685 – 1759) - Overture to Parthenope (1730)

Johann Adolph Hasse (1699-1783) - Flute Concerto in B Minor, Op. 3/10

George Frideric Handel - Concerto for harpsichord or organ, Op.4/5 (1738)

Arcangelo Corelli (1653 – 1713) - Concerto Grosso Op.6/8 (1724)

Interval

George Frideric Handel - Overture to Julius Caesar (1724/25)

George Frideric Handel - ‘Piangerò la Sorte Mia’ from Julius Caesar

Carlo Tessarini (1690 – 1766) - Concerto a Cinque, F major Op. 1/2

William Babell (1688 – 1723) - Oboe Sonata No. 2, C Minor Major (posthumous ca1725)

John Humphries (ca. 1707 – ca.1733) - Concerto Grosso in D minor, Op. 3/10

Soloists

Pauline Nobes – Baroque Violin

Jane Burnell- Soprano

Martyn Shaw – Baroque Flute

Mark Baigent - Baroque Oboe

David Francis – Harpsichord