KT11 Area Guide

Historically-informed solo-voice choir The Queenes Chappell make their return to the Surrey Bach Festival, for a beautiful evening concert of choral music. The Queenes Chappell is a young, versatile vocal consort committed to the performance of 16th, 17th and 18th century repertoire in a bold, vivid, and historically informed style. Founded in 2022 by Artistic Director Matthew Brown, the group has presented concerts across London and beyond, and is fast establishing itself as a fresh and exciting interpreter of Renaissance and Baroque repertoire. The group is now resident at St Marys Church, Stoke dAbernon, a historic church with a long and rich history of historical performance. Previously, The Queenes Chappell were engaged as Artists-in-Residence at St Mary-le-Strand in central London, and have appeared in the Italian Sounds in London and Baroquestock festivals. Its members are drawn from Londons best solo and consort singers, who sing with other premiere ensembles such as Voces8, Monteverdi Choir, Gabrieli Consort, Tenebrae, and The Sixteen.

Bellot Ensemble is a vibrant period instrument group celebrated for energetic performances and a distinctive approach to 17th-century repertoire. Rooted in historical performance practice, the ensemble blends detailed research with spontaneity, particularly through written divisions and the expressive interpretation of early texts. Their work often brings together instrumental and vocal forces, with regular collaborations involving consorts, choirs, and opera companies. From October 2025, the group began a two-year term as the New Generation Baroque Ensemble, a prestigious development scheme led by BBC Radio 3, The Royal College of Music, and the National Centre for Early Music. The programme supports emerging UK-based Baroque groups through expert coaching, recording and broadcast opportunities, and a regular performance platform. Bellot Ensemble has also been selected for the Britten Pears Young Artist Programme 2025-26, where they will take part in the Chamber Music Residency at Snape Maltings supported by the Keith Coventry Bursary. The ensemble is especially grateful for the continued support of the Continuo Foundation, whose grants have supported national touring and the release of their debut album Cupids Ground Bass, released in November 2025, featuring 17th-century love arias with soloists Lucine Musaelian and Kieran White, along with newly composed instrumental divisions. A companion video project, filmed at the VOCES8 Centre with director Thomas Guthrie and videographer Bobby Williams, accompanies the album. They were part of the Brighton Early Music Festival Live Scheme 2023-24, and maintain close ties with choral and opera groups across the UK. In 2024 they toured John Frederick Lampes The Dragon of Wantley with New Sussex Opera conducted by Toby Purser, and appeared as Featured Artists at the Overstrand Early Music Festival in a semi-staged Dido and Aeneas with Norwich Baroque. They are also recipients of the Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artist Award for 2024-25. Upcoming highlights include performances at the Oxford Festival of the Arts, new appearances through the NGBE scheme, and a residency in 2026 with Les Arts Florissants Odysse programme.

Intesa is a duo for voice and viol formed by Lucine Musaelian and Nathan Giorgetti, dedicated to exploring the rich relationship between voice and viol through self-accompanied performance. They are 2025 City Music Foundation Artists, and with the Foundations support have recently recorded their debut album, engineered and produced by Jared Sacks and to be released on the Pelle dOca label in 2026. Recent highlights include appearances at the Resonanzen Festival in Vienna in both 2025 and January 2026, returning to a full house at the Wiener Konzerthauss Mozart-Saal. International engagements have also taken them to the Utrecht Fabulous Fringe Festival, the ECOS Festival in Spain, and the Munich Residenzwoche in Germany. In the United States, the duo made their New York debut at the Harold Pratt House and in the Gotham Early Music Scene Midtown Concerts series. In the UK, Intesa performs regularly and has appeared in the Leeds International Concert Season, the Stoke Newington Early Music Festival, the Islington Arts Festival, and the Two Moors Festival, as well as on a Scotland tour supported by the Tunnell Trust. They have also given several sold-out concerts at Handel Hendrix House and Fidelio Caf in London, and held a residency at the National Centre for Early Music as part of the York Early Music Christmas Festival and the Baroque Around the Books series. Upcoming engagements include a recital at St Martin-in-the-Fields, appearances at the Beverley Festival of Early Music and the Swaledale Festival, and a concert at the Utrecht Early Music Festival in summer 2026. Intesa was formed in 2023 at the Royal Academy of Music. The ensembles name, an Italian word meaning understanding or meeting of minds, reflects the collaborative ethos at the heart of their work. Their programmes place folk and early music repertoire side by side, bringing together European and Armenian traditions through narrative and self-accompanied performance.

Steven Devine combines a career as a conductor and director of orchestral, choral and opera repertoire with that of a solo harpsichordist and fortepianist. He is the Conductor and Artistic Advisor of The English Haydn Festival; Music Director of New Chamber Opera, Oxford and Director of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenments Bach the Universe & Everything series. On the concert platform, he has directed Purcell, Blow, Bach, Handel and Mozart with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment; Bach Easter Oratorio with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales; Haydn, Handel, CPE Bach, JC Bach, Ditterdorf and Viotti with the English Haydn Orchestra; Handel, Vivaldi and Porpora Trondheim Barokk, Bach Christmas Oratorio with the Norwegian Wind Ensemble; Handel Solomon as well as JS and CPE Bach programmes with Victoria Baroque Players, British Columbia, Handel Belshazzar at the Valetta Festival and Handel Music for the Royal Fireworks with Arion Baroque Ensemble, Montreal. He has also directed programmes with the Academy of Ancient Music, Academie dAmbronay, the Mozart Festival Orchestra and St Pauls Chamber Orchestra. For this lunchtime recital, Steven will be joined by festival Artistic Director Matthew Brown for some pieces for harpsichord duet.