The Keble Early Music Festival was founded in 2014, initially as a platform for student performers, but quickly developed into its current form, hosting performances by some of the best professional artists in the field of early music. Recent guest artists have included the Tallis Scholars, Gabrieli Consort, the BBC Singers, the Academy of Ancient Music, Blackadder Baroque Brass, His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts, Rachel Podger, Roderick Williams, and many more, alongside a regular collaboration with Instruments of Time & Truth, Oxford’s world-class period instrument ensemble.

These concerts are interspersed with student performances, often with collaborative opportunities for students to work alongside professionals. A regular feature is a showcase for The Bate Collective, Oxford University’s historical performance ensemble, with access to instruments from The Bate Collection. With education as a strong theme, the KEMF has in recent years branched out to include schools workshops, in collaboration with the Oxfordshire County Music Service and Instruments of Time & Truth, and a regular one-day adult workshop in association with the Thames Valley Early Music Forum. Amid the busy programme of concerts are the regular chapel services, with an opportunity to hear the college’s first-rate choir sing Choral Evensong at 6pm on Tuesday and Compline by candlelight on Thursday at 9pm.

This year’s Festival opens on Tuesday 25 February with Fretwork, the world’s premier viol consort, who will celebrate the work of Orlando Gibbons in the 400th anniversary year of his death, joined by members of Keble College Choir. The following day, Stile Antico marks its twentieth season by honouring Palestrina, the undisputed master of the style which gives the group its name. On Thursday 27 The Basilinda Consort, Oxford’s newest early music group, presents a programme drawing on new research on music from convents established expressly for English Catholic women across France, the Low Countries, and Portugal. On Friday 28 lunchtime an organ recital by Edward Higginbottom celebrates the musical lineage of the Bach family. The same evening we are delighted to be joined by multi award-winning mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston and friends to fly alongside Purcell, Strozzi, Charpentier and Monteverdi in pursuit of love. On Saturday 1 March there is a rare opportunity to hear the earliest Amati violin in private ownership, played by Peter Sheppard Skaerved, as part of a lecture by Benjamin Hebbert, one of the world’s leading violin experts. The Festival then culminates in a semi-staged performance of Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, for which Keble’s Choir has been working with opera director Nicholas Heath, and will be joined by Instruments of Time & Truth and a stellar cast of young soloists.

The Festival is proud of its educational core, and this year’s festival features no fewer than three student events, including an exploration of Monteverdi’s vocal music in association with Instruments of Time & Truth. As in previous years, there will also be a schools workshop and a day-long adult workshop for voices and instruments.

Details of all events can be found, along with booking links, at keble.ox.ac.uk/kemf.

We hope to see you there!