Sir Nicholas Kenyon to give the inaugural Purcell Lecture at Stationers Hall presented by the Musicians' Company, and the Stationers and Newspapermakers' Company

Stationers Hall

In 1683, a group of musicians and music lovers got together as the Musical Society of London and organised a St Cecilia's Day concert (22 November) for which Henry Purcell wrote Welcome to all the Pleasures. In 1692 he wrote his ode Hail! Bright Cecilia for the same occasion, when it was premiered at the Stationers Hall (which was rebuilt in 1670 following the Fire of London).

In celebration of this, the Musicians' Company, and the Stationers and Newspapermakers' Company are coming together for the inaugural Purcell Lecture which takes place at the Stationers' Hall on Monday 12 May 2025.

The lecture, Henry Purcell: an Orpheus Britannicus for today, is being given by the distinguished writer, director and broadcaster Sir Nicholas Kenyon. There will also be music during the evening, provided by tenor Rory Carver, who performed the title role in Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo at the Brighton Early Music Festival while still a student at the Royal College of Music, and guitarist and theorbo player Jonatan Bougt. Jonatan Bougt studied at the Royal College of Music as an RCM Scholar supported by the Musician’s Company Lambert Studentship. 

Full details from the Stationer's Company website.