Cancionero
Cancionero is an Early Music Ensemble based in the Sevenoaks and Maidstone area of Kent. The group perform music from the Middle Ages and early Renaissance with an emphasis on the troubadour and Spanish repertoire but also including music from the Tudor court. Programmes are available with from 2 to 5 performers.
Members of the group sing and perform on a wide variety of instruments: Renaissance recorders, cornamuse, crumhorn, bagpipes, medieval and renaissance lute, vihuela, harp, gittern, citole, crwth, dulcimer, psaltery, rebec, virginals, hurdy-gurdy and percussion.
Tudor presentations for schools a speciality (please click here for further information); performances in period costume available at extra cost.
Click here to visit our weddings page.
To download our publicity brochure please click here.
The group draws on the skills of a pool of musicians:
Anthony Purnell (voice, winds, strings and virginals)
Anne Purnell (voice, recorders, virginals, hurdy-gurdy and percussion)
Helen Johnson (rebec and voice)
Emily Mason (recorder and percussion)
Nina di Cara (recorder and percussion)
Brian White (voice and percussion)
Adam Johnson (voice and percussion)
Some feedback from concert promoters -
"For those of us new to Medieval Music performances the evening was a delight and a revelation. Those I spoke to who are already aficionados felt the combination of Cancionero and the Crypt was an absolute treat." Lambeth concert 2005.
".... the wonderful musical entertainment you provided to an enthralled audience at Barming"
"Just to say thank you very much indeed for such a charming display of music and dance. It was delightful and each time a good crowd joined in. Such fun." Penshurst Place 2009.
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FUTURE PUBLIC PERFORMANCES
ST. NICHOLAS' CHURCH, ALLINGTON
"Essentially British"
A concert celebrating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee
7.30pm Saturday 2nd June 2012
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PAST PUBLIC PERFORMANCES
BBC Radio 4 's "Open Country" on January 5th 2002 featured interviews with Stephen Dyer, Anne and Anthony. Anne's hurdy-gurdy was a source of much fascination when she played, with Anthony, on Radio Kent in July 2003! In October 2004 the hurdy-gurdy was featured again along with two of the instruments built by Anthony - a fiddle and a violetta (played by Helen). This broadcast featured music from their 2004 Canterbury Festival programme.
Our most recent performances at PENSHURST PLACE were on Sunday 30th and Monday 31st August 2009:
"Henry VIII - a Renaissance Prince"
Music and dance from the Tudor court
CONCERT PERFORMANCES
INVICTA GRAMMAR SCHOOL, MAIDSTONE
Songs of Devotion
Music loved by St Francis and his followers
Tuesday 19th July 2011
Songs from medieval France and a selection of Italian Laudes
ST. PETER & ST. PAUL, YALDING
"Monteverdi's Beatus Vir and Madrigals"
A joint concert with The Baroque Singers
Saturday 7th May 2011
ST. PETER & ST. PAUL, YALDING
"Music for the Christmas Season"
Part of the Yalding Yuletide Market
Saturday 4th December 2010
INVICTA GRAMMAR SCHOOL, MAIDSTONE
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Cancionero performed the incidental music with students they had trained to play renaissance instruments.
Tuesday 13th to Thursday 15th July 2010
CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL
God's Troubadour - St Francis of Assisi
Thursday 10th September 2009
A celebration of the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Franciscan order
INVICTA GRAMMAR SCHOOL, MAIDSTONE
Madonnas and Miracles
A treasury of music from medieval Spain
Thursday 9th July 2009
The junior choir from Invicta Grammar School joined with Cancionero to perform a selection of the best songs from medieval Spain. The programme included the Pilgrim Songs from Montserrat known as the Llibre Vermell, the oldest surviving song cycle – the Cantigas de Amigo by Martin Codax, and a group of the Cantigas de Santa Maria.
ST. NICHOLAS' CHURCH, ALLINGTON
"The Canterbury Tales"
Chaucer’s world in words and music
Saturday 26th April 2008
ST. PETER & ST. PAUL, YALDING
"Music for the Christmas Season"
Part of the Yalding Yuletide Market
Saturday 1st December 2007
ST. PETER & ST. PAUL, YALDING
"The Canterbury Tales"
Chaucer’s world in words and music
Saturday 6th October 2007
This was a fund raising concert for GamBLE.
This local charity supports a school in Farato in Gambia.
ST MARGARET's CHURCH, COLLIER STREET
"The love life of Henry VIII "
- a musical portrait of his wives and mistresses
Saturday 7th July 2007
A Midsummer Ball in aid of the Dandelion Trust for Children and RADA (the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art)
Saturday 23 June 2007 -7pm to Midnight
at the Saga Pavilion, Sandgate, Folkestone.
Generously hosted by Saga Group.
An evening of superb entertainment, fine wines and food,
a silent auction and a live auction - with MC Richard Wilson.
ALL SAINTS' CHURCH, TUDELEY
The Pilgrim Road
Part of the series "The Art of the Recorder"
Saturday 28th April 2007
THE CRYPT AT LAMBETH PALACE
A tapestry of medieval music exploring the search
for love, comfort and spiritual fulfilment!
Tuesday 4th April 2006
This was a charity gala and reception for the Evelina Children's Hospital Appeal.
also at
ST MARGARET'S CHURCH, BARMING
Saturday 25th March 2006
and at
ST MARY'S CHURCH, CHILHAM
Friday 14th October 2005
DAVINGTON PRIORY, FAVERSHAM
"The search for salvation
- a medieval pilgrimage"
Saturday 19th November 2005
and at
ALL SAINTS CHURCH, ULCOMBE
Saturday 28th October 2006
THE BARN THEATRE, SMALLHYTHE PLACE
Readings from the plays and sonnets
with songs and music heard at "The Globe"
Saturday 23rd July 2005
and at
EAST MALLING RESEARCH STATION MUSIC CLUB
Tuesday 19th September 2006
THE CRYPT AT LAMBETH PALACE
- a selection from the 13th century Cantigas de Santa Maria,
English and pilgrim songs and a sequence by Hildegard von Bingen.
Monday 4th April 2005
This was a charity gala and reception for the Evelina Children's Hospital Appeal.
also at
EAST MALLING RESEARCH STATION MUSIC CLUB
Tuesday 22nd March 2005
and at
ST MARY'S CHURCH, CHILHAM
Friday 15th October 2004
ST MARY'S CHURCH, CHILHAM
"The Pilgrim Road - Miracles and Madonnas"
Saturday 18th October 2003
also at
ST ANDREW'S CHURCH, PADDOCK WOOD
Saturday 19th July 2003
and at
Saturday 17th May 2003
EAST MALLING RESEARCH STATION MUSIC CLUB
"Eleanor of Aquitaine - a courtly life"
Thursday 14th November 2002
THE MANOR GATE HOUSE, PRIORY ROAD, DARTFORD
"Music from the Courts of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I"
Sunday 15th September 2002
Other performances have included private functions and educational workshops
Sample programmes:
Music to set before a Queen ... a volta for Elizabeth
Eleanor of Aquitaine - a courtly life
The Pilgrim Road - Madonnas and Miracles
Tudor Music and Dance for schools
For more information, or to invite us to play, contact Weald Music Services
Return to Weald Music Services Homepage
This site was last up-dated on 29th April 2012.
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