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PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Nocturnalia’s Wit and Mirth Project reveals a world where refined sonatas and lively folk tunes shared the stage, blurring the lines between court and countryside. This vibrant program brings to life the wit, warmth, and unexpected charm of 17th-century London. Moving, extravagant, and full of pathos, the London scene witnessed some of the most daring experiments in Baroque composition. The divide between elite and popular music was less pronounced than it seems today, and performing these works together offers both historical coherence and a vivid portrait of Early Modern England’s musical heritage.

Inspired by this music, Nocturnalia has created Wit and Mirth, a concert tour and recording project. The programme includes 17th-century folk tunes preserved by John Playford, a rarely heard trio sonata by Bohemian composer Gottfried Finger, and the modern premiere of a violin sonata by the now-forgotten Irish composer William Viner (d. 1716), not performed since the early 18th century. Alongside the recording, Nocturnalia will present a modern critical edition of the sonata on IMSLP, making it accessible to performers unfamiliar with facsimiles. The ensemble will also offer its original arrangement of Wit and Mirth dances, not played or danced in modern times. Together with works by Purcell, Locke, and Matteis, these pieces reveal a lively dialogue between art music and the dance traditions of the time.

Nocturnalia will present four concerts in the UK: 9 November 2025 at Dode, The Lost Village (Kent); 13 November at Leatherhead’s Music on Thursdays; 14 November at the Foundling Museum in London; and 16 November at the Sunday Sowndon series, Heath Street Baptist Church in Hampstead. All events will be hosted and promoted by the venues.

In addition to the concerts, the ensemble will produce a professional video and audio recording of the Viner sonata on 15 November at Heath Street Baptist Church. The final version will be published online, shared with broadcasters and early music networks, and used for educational and promotional purposes.

The project is intended for audiences interested in early music, historical performance, and folk traditions. It also aims to reach local communities in Kent and London, as well as students and younger listeners. The programme suits those with a general interest in classical music, English history, and cultural heritage. We expect a mix of early music enthusiasts and newcomers, and will encourage interaction through simple Playford choreography.

This project introduces rarely performed repertoire to new audiences, promotes English, Irish, and Scottish Baroque music, and supports the growth of Nocturnalia as a young international ensemble in early music. The title Wit and Mirth, or Pills to Purge Melancholy (1698) borrows from Thomas D’Urfey’s popular song collection—witty, irreverent, and an antidote to gloom. In the same spirit, let this concert serve as a small pill against melancholy.