Their Majesties | Summer festival of old music

ABOUT THE CONCERT

“Strike the viol, touch the lute, inspire the flute, sing in cheerful and harmonious lays…” The famous aria “Strike the viol” by Henry Purcell will crown the festival evening, appropriately located in the Lobkowicz Palace. But it also heralds its overall message – let the cheerful voice and harmonious sound of viol, lute or flute reach the ears not only of all present listeners, but also of its bygone musical patrons – members of the royal House of Stuart.

The Flemish ensemble Musica Gloria will arrive to Prague with an invitation to the most distinguished society of the Kingdom of England of the second half of the 17th and early 18th centuries. The ensemble features all the above-mentioned instruments; and vocal lines will be performed by Pieter de Praetere, a young countertenor, who is also from Belgium. Evoking the typical atmosphere of a “magic island”, the exquisite programme will remind us of a little-known fact – that apart from the very popular and successful Henry Purcell, his relative Daniel also pursued an active musical career.

Artists

Musica Gloria

Pieter de Praetere: countertenor

Beniamino Paganini: harpsichord, recorder, artistic director

Nele Vertommen: Baroque oboe, recorder, artistic director

Evan Buttar | viola da gamba
Thomas Langlois | theorbo

Programme

Henry Purcell (1659–1695)
Strike the viol, touch the lute
Musick for a while
When Orpheus sang
Oh, Solitude
Her charming strains
The Plainte
Bid the Virtues
Entry dance, Rondeau
Almand, Corant, Hornpipe
Trio sonata for recorder, treble viol & continuo in d
Prelude in d minor

Daniel Purcell (ca 1670–1717)
Sound the trumpet
Now sooth our joy
Aire I, Aire II, Bore, Slow air
Sonata seconda for flute solo in d
Sonata terza for flute solo in C

Tobias Hume (ca 1569–1645)
Tickle me quickly
Touch me lightly

Musica Gloria 

Musica Gloria is a young, vibrant instrumental and vocal ensemble led by Beniamino Paganini and Nele Vertommen. The ensemble aims to bring early music to listeners in a compelling, lively, colourful and historically informed way on (copies of) historical instruments. Musica Gloria’s repertoire ranges from early to late Baroque and from the most famous to the least known works. Bringing captivating, balanced and well-crafted programmes is a must for the ensemble. Depending on the programme and project, Musica Gloria consists of two to forty and beyond, young, enthusiastic musicians. The ensemble consciously chooses an approach based on respect and responsibility for the music, the musicians, all others involved, and the environment.
 
Musica Gloria attracts an enthusiastic audience and plays some thirty concerts a year, including regularly in front of full houses at national and international venues and festivals such as AMUZ (Belgium), Bachfest Leipzig (Germany), BOZAR (Belgium), 30CC (Belgium), Concertgebouw in Bruges (Belgium), De Bijloke (Belgium), Festival de Froville (France), Flagey (Belgium), Internationale Telemann-Gesellschaft (Germany), Itinéraire Baroque (France), Klara (Belgium), Kölner Philharmonie (Germany), Les Festivals de Wallonie (Belgium), Lunalia (Belgium), the MA Festival Brugge (Belgium), Mubafa (Belgium), Musica Antica (Netherlands), St. Wenceslas Music Festival (Czech Republic), Tage Alter Musik Regensburg (Germany), Trigonale (Austria) and Festival Musicale Viaggio in Italia. In 2024, Musica Gloria performed the opening concerts of the festivals Lunalia and Les Nuits de Septembre.
 
In the last years, in addition to performing these concerts, the ensemble has released many video recordings on YouTube and six CDs: “Georg Österreich’s Resurrected Treasures” (2025), “Corelli & Handel: Encounters in Rome” (2023), “The Bachs & the Flute” (2022), “Fasch’s Oboe” (2022) and two CDs with a selection of YouTube video recordings (2021 & 2023). These recordings have been listened to worldwide and received positively by numerous listeners, radio stations, TV stations and reviewers (including 5 Diapasons, 10/10 in Luister and Le Disque classique du jour on Radio France).

The concert is held with the kind support of the Flemish government and in collaboration with the House of Lobkowicz.