The Telling

A different concert experience

About

Blurring the boundaries of what a concert is, distinctive medieval group The Telling brings you intimate “concert-theatre” pieces to transport you back to the Middle Ages through ballads, music, poetry and story-telling.

The Telling has a growing reputation for intimate, staged concerts to bring medieval music off the page and reach wider audiences. We create a different concert experience, combining ballads and upbeat instrumental dances with narrative, readings or film. We often perform some numbers while moving around the audience and using lighting and/or candlelight.

"a multimedia experience of light, song, music & storytelling" The Argus (Brighton & Hove)

Formed in 2009, we draw from a pool of leading musicians who perform for the Society of Strange & Ancient Instruments, I Fagiolini, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Carnival Band and The Dufay Collective.

“sung with perfection that is heart-stopping” Worthing Herald

The Telling has performed 9 times at Brighton Early Music Festival, and is resident ensemble at Stroud Green Festival, North London and has performed for promoters including Buxton International Festival, Omnibus Theatre, Leamington Music, Hastings Early Music Festival and Stoke Newington Early Music Festival.

“beautifully born” Sean Rafferty, BBC Radio 3

The Telling will release their new CD, The Lily & the Rose, in Autumn 2018. In 2018/19 The Telling has 31 engagements and will launch a series of residencies to transform access to medieval music in England, initially targeting Liverpool (at the Nordic Church), Hastings (including at Kino-Teatr, St Leonards), Worthing (at St Paul’s) and Devon (for Totnes Early Music Series and Lympstone Entertainments). Other engagements over the next year also include performances for Little Missenden Festival, Kingston Festival of the Voice, and perform 3 concert/plays for Music at Oxford to mark International Women’s Day 2019.

Photo: Robert Piwko

Thanks to our funders

Our Secret Life of Carols tour is funded by Arts Council England.

Our Empowered Women tour (Vision, Into the Melting Pot and Unsung Heroine) is funded by Arts Council England, The Golsoncott Foundation, Unity Theatre Trust and The Marchus Trust.