Bringers of Dreams: Brighton Early Music Festival
Imagine the sound of a time well before your own. Tankards tap on tavern tables as drums spur on the pipe-and-tabor player in the corner. Or instead swirls of Renaissance royalty chatter in all their finery, inspired by the voice of the court singer dressed in silk, their eyes glazing wistfully as they reach into their own inner hopes.
Whatever your role in history, Brighton Early Music Festival (that’s BREMF, for short) invites you to dream of the past and imagine a future that belonged to those who dared to dream before you. Early music, if you’re wondering, encompasses the music, instruments, songs and traditions of the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods, tracing the roots of many musical traditions we know today. Music that calls to the depths of our desire to tell stories, dance, celebrate and connect.
The festival runs from 2–25 Oct, wandering between historic churches and Regency architecture as the programme reawakens some of Brighton’s most characterful spaces. This year’s theme, ‘Bringers of Dreams’, reminds us why we look back at all, exploring the space between the real and imagined, past and future, hopes and fears – revealing how little we differ from those who walked before us.
There is something to stir every imagination. Highlights include Polia’s Power (11 Oct): a hypnotic collision of Renaissance music, storytelling and live visuals, entering the dream world of The Dream of Poliphilus and retelling its story through Polia’s eyes, giving voice to a previously silent female character.
Or, Send it by the Water (16 Oct), which follows the connections between Medieval European song and the ballad traditions of Appalachia, exploring how melodies and stories travel with the people who carry them.
If outdoor events are more your thing, SongPath (25 Oct) offers a different experience, inviting audiences to step away from the concert hall and into nature, with a community walk through Stanmer Park linking song with the surrounding landscape.
All ages are invited to dream along. Tickets are free for under 12s, with half-price tickets available for under 30s and further concessions available. Find out more at bremf.org.uk and step into the soundtrack of hundreds of years ago.
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