Hear it Live!
13 October
First Encounters – Musical Journeys from the First Age of Globalisation
An exploration of music which spanned the continents in the eighteenth century, including English dances by Ignatius Sancho, and music by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, together with music by their English and French contemporaries, Thomas Arne and Jean-Philippe Rameau.
Yeo Yat-Soon
Yat-Soon was born in London to Chinese parents and studied Music at King’s College London. He continued with postgraduate studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama studying harpsichord with Christopher Kite and conducting with Harry Newstone. After a distinguished career in music education, Yeo Yat-Soon has now returned to his first love – playing the harpsichord. He performs regularly as a soloist, chamber musician and musical director. He teaches harpsichord, coaches chamber music and lectures in historical performance practice at the University of Birmingham.
Hear it Live! often includes performances on our four historical keyboard instruments, three of which, from the former Finchcocks Musical Museum, were restored to playing condition thanks to National Lottery funding.
The instruments are:
- A rare surviving example of a signed Neapolitan virginals by Onofrio Guarracino, 1668;
- A beautifully-preserved square piano by Adam Beyer, London, 1777;
- A 1772 Kirckman harpsichord; and
- A handsome English chamber organ, possibly by Joseph Beloudy, London, c.1800.
Find details of previous performances you can still watch below.
Watch one of the previous performances
- Linda Nicholson on the 1777 Beyer square piano
- Stephan Farr plays the English chamber organ
- Robin Bigwood performs on the Italian virginals
- Performance by Callum Anderson playing the English chamber organ
- Performance by Dominika Maszczyńska playing the square piano
- Performance by Linda Nicholson playing the Kirkman harpsicord
- Performance by Linda Nicholson playing the square piano
- Performance by Callum Anderson playing the 1772 Kirckman harpsichord
- Performance by Dominika Maszczyńska playing the 1772 Kirckman harpsichord
- Performance by Josef Laming on the virginals
- Performance by Steven Devine, At Home with the Horniman (part 2)
- Performance by Steven Devine, At Home with the Horniman (part 1)
- Performance by Masumi Yamamoto on the harpsichord
- Performance by Rebeca Omordia on the square piano
- Performance by Marilyn Harper on the organ
- Performance by Katarzyna Kowalik on the square piano
The Hear It Live! programme and recordings are made possible through the generosity of the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
