Early music concert by the Nocturnalia Ensemble featuring 17th-century folk tunes, works by Purcell, Locke and Matteis, and a modern premiere of a William Viner sonata.
Nocturnalia Ensemble are playing at The NCEM (National Centre for Early Music) in St Margaret's Church on Friday 11 December, from 12.30pm to around 1.30pm. It's a lunchtime concert, so it fits into a working day rather than taking up an evening.
The programme is built around 17th-century music, and it's a bit of a mix. They'll be playing folk tunes from that era, the kind preserved in the collections of John Playford, alongside a trio sonata by Gottfried Finger that doesn't get out much. There's also a modern premiere in the works: a violin sonata by William Viner that hasn't been heard since the early 18th century. To round it all out, they're bringing in pieces by Henry Purcell, Matthew Locke and Nicola Matteis.
The whole thing takes its title, Wit and Mirth, or Pills to Purge Melancholy (1698), from a well-known song collection by Thomas D'Urfey. The ensemble describes the programme as a lively dialogue between art music and dance traditions, and the mix of folk tunes and sonatas points that way — the more formal, composed side of the music sitting alongside the melodies that would have been played for dancing.
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The concert is presented by the NCEM in association with the Continuo Foundation, which also funds the performance. It runs from 12.30pm to about 1.30pm on Friday 11 December at St Margaret's Church, Walmgate, YO19TL. Unreserved seating is £15, and under 35s pay £10.
Date
Friday, 11 December 2026
12:30
Price
Paid
Recommended Age
+14 years
