Ambassador thoughts

Yet again Josie & the Emeralds shone brightly and required no polishing

Concerts featuring Josie and the Emeralds are always a delight and this was no exception. Entitled ‘Fantasy’ and held in Glebe Town Hall on Friday 26th April, a crowd of regular devotees and many new faces were treated to Fantasias and fantasy-inspired music composed for viols and voice. Brooke Green, as founder and Director of the group, needs no introduction

Margaret Whittaker May 7, 2019

Ambassador thoughts

Josie & the Emeralds Celebrate the Feast Day of the Patron Saint of Music with a fascinating and rich program

Josie (Josie Ryan, Soprano) and the Emeralds (four viol da gamba players) first presented a special program honouring Lady Music in 2014. It was such a success with their audience, the Emeralds decided to make it an annual event. Some 80 fans crowded into the Glebe Town Hall – including Dame Emma Kirkby and her husband who slipped in fairly

Marguerite Foxon November 27, 2017

Ambassador thoughts

Josie & The Emeralds’ Monteverdi and the Golden Age was a delight

The singer Josie Ryan and the viol consort The Emeralds are doing a series of concerts this year to commemorate the 450th anniversary of Claudio Monteverdi’s birth. Monteverdi’s music stands at the cusp between the Renaissance and the Baroque and here we heard works from his Books of Madrigals 3, 4, 5 and 8 spanning this divide. These were interspersed

Daniel Kaan April 12, 2017

Josie & The Emeralds celebrating St Cecilia with Viols, Voice, and Organ

Their concerts are always an uplifting and joyful experience. Amy Johansen playing organ really added to the celebration of the life of St Cecilia.

Marguerite Foxon November 24, 2016

Ambassador thoughts

Josie & The Emeralds deliver a first class performance celebrating Shakespeare

Always deliver works I’m unlikely to have heard before (and probably never knew about). Thoughtful programming with a novel twist. Sunday was no exception.

Marguerite Foxon August 30, 2016

Josie and The Emeralds: Honouring St Cecilia

And who is St Cecilia you may ask? No less than the Patron Saint of Music, who received such an accolade in honour of her 2nd or 3rd Century martyrdom. Doubtless she would have a special affinity for The Emeralds, given her association with the viol as portrayed in the paintings of Raphael, Rubens and others. A small statue of

Marguerite Foxon November 29, 2014

Josie and the Emeralds: A Sparkling Performance of Medieval and Modern Music

I’ve wanted to attend a performance by the Emeralds for the last 18 months but their concert dates invariably clashed with other commitments. I’m intrigued with the growing interest in historically informed performance and the increasing appearance of the viol da gamba in ensembles. In fact, a whole family of Viols — treble, bass, tenor and vielle (medieval fiddle, forerunner

Marguerite Foxon June 4, 2014

A time travelling ‘Girl Band’: testing the limits and walking the cat (gut) walk!

New Fashions Josie and the Emeralds with Lyra viol specialist, Sarah Mead (USA) Glebe Town Hall, 29 March 2014 For even the most enthusiastic of music lovers being confronted by five viol players (playing among them a variety of instruments from high treble to deep bass) and a soprano can be a challenge. It certainly tested my limited knowledge of

John O'Brien April 7, 2014

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