If you happen to be in New York, the indefatigable Elaine Comparone and The Queen's Chamber Band will be performing Purcell, Handel, JS and JCF Bach as part of this year's Hudson Festival Baroque; the concert takes place at the Pleshakov Music Center, Hudson, NY on Saturday 21 July at 8pm. For tickets call (+1) 518 - 671 - 7171. Another opportunity to hear them will be on Saturday 4 August, also at 8pm at the Pleshakov Center, when they will be performing a programme of JS and CPE Bach. Elaine's season for 2001-2 continues from September through May - for a full programme contact Joan Ryan on joanryanmusic@prodigy.net

In Italy, the Festival Musica Antiqua a Magnano takes place again this year in August, and is your chance to hear Wieland and Piet Kuijken perform Bach's gamba sonatas (3 and 4 August), the Dolc'avre Consort (10 and 11 August), Cantus Cölln (17 and 18 August), the organist Luca Scandali (24 August), and, on 31 August and 1 September, the festival finishes with two Haydn fortepiano recitals by Bernard Brauchli. Telephone (+39) 015 - 679100 or 697176.

In London, Philip Pickett offers another rare opportunity to hear interesting repertoire and performers in this year's South Bank Early Music Weekend (7-9 September). Here's a summary:

7 Sep 7pm: Tragicomedia: Paul O'Dette, his group and a Venetian actress play cantatas by Rossi, dances, solos and scenes form the commedia dell'arte.

7 Sep 9:30pm: Lionheart: an outstanding American ensemble performing examples of the Italian lauda repertiore.

8 Sep 3:15pm: La Fontaine: a young Japanese group, winners at Bruges in 2000, performing Telemann and Vivaldi.

8 Sep 5pm: Artur Stefanowicz : a rare opportunity to hear this highly-acclaimed Polish countertenor performing Handel and Vivaldi.

8 Sep 7pm: The Berlin Akademie für Alte Musik perform Bach (JS and WF) with some Nichelmann. A real coup - amazing that they haven't performed at the South Bank before.

8 Sep 9.30pm: Benjamin Bagby and Sequentia perform the Edda. Unmissable.

9 Sep 2:30pm: Enrico Baiano gives a harpsichord recital of music by Scarlatti, Vivaldi and Paradies. Another London debut. Unbelievable.

9 Sep 4pm: The Huelgas Ensemble perform Richafort's Requiem. The music of the so-called post-Josquin generation is still too little performed, so here's a great chance to listen to one of the great masterpieces of the period.

9 Sep 6pm: The New London Consort perform Vivaldi.

9 Sep 8.:30pm: Ken Zuckerman improvises on the sarod.

Tel: (+44) (0)20 - 7960 - 4242 or book on www.rfh.org.uk

The East Anglian Academy, directed by Malcolm Russell, has a lot to offer this year. Organ in recitals in historic churches in East Anglia have been happening since April and will continue through to October; their Festival 2001, to be held on 8 and 9 September, even gives the clavichord a bit of a look-in. For details contact Judith Russell on (+44) (0) 1728 - 724456 or russell.org.acad@appleonline.net

The new season of Fresh, a series of concerts by young artists at London's South Bank, kicks off on Wednesday 26 September at 7:30pm in the Purcell Room with a recital by the recorder player Emma Murphy and the harpsichordist Steven Devine. The programme contains a mixture of baroque and recent compositions. Other concerts in the series include the Solaris Quartet on October 4, the pianist Jill Crossland on October 19, and the harpist Emma Ramsdale on December 6. Book on 020 7960 4242 or www.rfh.org.uk

If you fancy a trip to Spain, the second International Festival of Spanish Keyboard Music (FIMTE) will be held this year from the 12th to the 15th of October in Mojacar (Province of Almeria, Andalusia). On the first two days of the festival (12-13 October) is the second 'Diego Fernandez' International Symposium on Spanish Keyboard Music, which will be divided into two sections: Friday 12th: 'The piano is Spain until 1830' (chair: Cristina Bordas); Saturday 13th: 'Spanish keyboard music from 1740 to 1830: the repertoire and its interpretation' (chair: Luisa Morales). Official languages: English and Spanish. The Symposium fee (including Symposium dinner) is 12,000 pesetas. For further information contact Luisa Morales, Director, FIMTE, Apdo. 212 Garrucha 04630, Almeria, Spain. Tel/fax (+34) 950132285 or email fimteleal@jet.es
** Catch up on the first festival and symposium by reading the review in our forthcoming issue.

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2002

Next year the Southeastern and the Midwestern Historical Keyboard Societies are focussing on 'Music and Keyboard Instruments in the Moravian Communities', a meeting to be hosted by Moravian College, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on 7-9 March 2002. For details telephone (+1) 734 - 433 - 0408. Concurrently, the Southeastern Historical Keyboard Society will be holding their 5th 'Mae and Irving Jurow International Harpsichord Competition'; email mattax@uiuc.edu

ODDS & ENDS

Are you stuck in Germany, longing to catch up with Top of the Pops? Now your problems are at an end as BBC Worldwide joins forces with German production company Me, Myself and Eye to form Me, Myself and Someone Else. Does this make German TV more or less attractive?

Organ recitals at the Royal Festival Hall, London are scheduled for Jennifer Bate (22 Oct), John Scott (6 Dec), Thomas Trotter (19 Feb, 2002), and Marie-Clair Alain (9 Apr). All recitals start at 7.30pm. Box office 020 7960 4242 or online at www.rfh.org.uk.

A competition for singers aged between 19 and 32 takes place in Montreal from May 30 to June 7 2002. Further details from www.jeunessesmusicales.com

The London Handel Society has issued a recording of Handel's Silla -- the "first public performance in Britain" which took place on 11 April 2000. The London Handel Orchestra is conducted by Denys Darlow with Adrian Butterfield concert master. With James Bowman, Joanne Lunn, Simon Baker, Rachel Nicholls, Natasha Marsh, Elizabeth Cragg and Christopher Dixon. Price £26 plus £1 p&p from the London Handel Society, 265 Croxted Road, London SE21 8NN.

How's this for a dotcom? Fleetwood Owen is an online entertainment auction house which was launched in September last year. So far they have sold the upright Steinway on which John Lennon composed 'Imagine' (to George Michael for £1.45m), a Hammond C3 organ also used by Lennon (£40k) and a pair of Lennon's wire-rimmed glasses which he wore when composing 'Imagine', broken in an argument between him and Yoko (£6,500). Will early keyboard instruments appear, we wonder, and if so, will historic spectacles damaged in marital disputes also feature? Focus your lenses on www.fleetwoodowen.com

Oh dear, is everyone on the internet? Where money is concerned, probably. SponsorClick is a NY/London-based company which aims to match up sponsors and sponsorship seekers all over the globe. If you think it's worth a try, email isabelle@sponsorclick.com for further information. (I wonder if they'll sponsor my research project in the Seychelles...)

This is more like it. Musicroom.com has launched a download service which allows musicians to interact with a digital catalogue of copyrighted sheet music. You can download, transpose and print out anything in the catalogue, while audio playback synchronises a moving cursor with the notes on the screen. If you want to give it a try we'd be interested to know what you think. www.sheetmusicdirect.com

Thinking of broadcasting your recordings over the internet? You might consider looking into Music2clear which offers a fully automated web-based registry and clearance service for managing authors' rights related to the digital music industry and music distribution. email (naturally) info@music2clear.com

The Musicians' Union has just launched an 'online mentoring programme', whereby experienced musicians can offer advice and guidance to young people entering the world of music. The programme is funded by the Department for Education and Employment, and training is offered to musicians online. The MU can be contacted at +44 (0)20 7582 5566, fax 9805 or visit www.musiciansunion.org.uk

Send us your news! Write to: The Editors, Harpsichord & Fortepiano, 3 Ventnor Terrace, Lincoln, LN2 1LZ

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