Baroque music performers Red Priest to play at The Apex

The Red Priest quartet (pictured above), described in the New York Times as “the wildly virtuosic little band” – are to perform 17th and 18th Century masterworks at The Apex, in Bury St Edmunds, later this month.

The brainchild of recorder virtuoso Piers Adams and violinist Julia Bishop, and named after the original “red priest” Antonio Vivaldi, the group has been at the forefront of baroque music performance for over a quarter of a century.

During that time the quartet has developed a unique style, combining high-energy performance, boundary crossing arrangements and theatrical presentation, delighting audiences across the globe.

The group has given numerous radio and TV broadcasts, including a documentary for The South Bank Show which attracted a million viewers.

Red Priest’s discography includes an iconic take on Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons”, hailed by Gramophone Magazine as one of the all-time best recordings of the work and “The Baroque Bohemians”, which surprised the major labels by reaching No.1 in the UK classical charts.

Piers Adams has been heralded in the Washington Post as “the reigning recorder virtuoso in the world today”, whileJulia Bishop is recognised as one of the most colourful exponents of the Baroque violin.

Angela East is widely respected in the period instrument world, praised in The Times for the “elemental power” of her cello playing. One of the UK’s busiest working harpsichordists, David Wright has performed and recorded with some of the world’s leading musicians including Tasmin Little and Julian Lloyd Webber.

The programme features Baroque highlights, including Vivaldi’s Concerto in G minor “La Notte”; Telemann’s “Gypsy” Sonata in A minor; Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor and Handel’s “The Harmonious Blacksmith Air and Variations.”

Red Priest perform at The Apex on Monday, April 22, at 7.30pm. See www.theapex.co.uk or ring 01284 758000 for more information or to book tickets.