This provides a great opportunity to compare, contrast and buy instruments and music. Exhibitors will show off their products in front of experts and clients, and provide advice on all aspects of these instruments, from basic servicing, finishing and string replacement to decoration and troubleshooting. A wide range of instruments will be on display and for sale, including harpsichords, clavichords, spinets, organs, viols, baroque violins, medieval fiddles, lutes, hurdy-gurdies, crumhorns, shawms, rebecs, pipes, sackbutts, trumpets, drums, tabors and recorders.

Live music is a key part of the weekend, with demonstration recitals throughout each day (on the hour) sponsored by the makers themselves. In addition to the makers’ recitals, there are 11 musical events spread across the weekend. Friday begins with a recital by the winners of Trinity College of Music’s Ella Kidney Early Music Competition and a fortepiano master-class given by Steven Devine. At noon Jacob Heringman (lute) and Philip Thorby (recorder) will give an early lunchtime recital, followed at 2.00pm by an organ recital in the chapel by Séan Farrel.

Also in the afternoon is a harpsichord master-class by John Henry. In the evening the Old Royal Naval College Chapel is the venue for a concert by James Bowman with members of the English Concert. On Saturday morning students from Trinity College of Music’s junior department will give a concert, followed by a late lunchtime recital by the Rose Consort of Viols. In the evening Trinity’s early music ensemble, directed by Philip Thorby, performs in the college chapel.

Nearby Blackheath Concert Halls is the venue for a recital by Walter Reiter (violin) and Matthew Halls (harpsichord) on Sunday morning. The afternoon sees the finals of the Moeck/SRP solo recorder playing competition, where the adjudicators will be Pamela Thorby, David Bellugi and Ross Winters. This offers a rare opportunity to hear exciting emerging talent playing a wide range of recorder music.

The atmosphere of the whole weekend tends to be a relaxed exploration of music, drawing people from many areas of the early music world, making it an interesting opportunity to meet new music, instruments and people.
www.e-m-s.com/exhib/exstart.html