Fussy

In three words: beguiling charming harmonies

Bring on the whole set: There’s no better way to kick off the festive period than a gorgeous (and gratis) choral concert. Piculet, a London-based ensemble of five singers, offers thoughtful commentary on the best of Western classical music in a central location.

Programmed by lead soprano Alice Beverley, Piculet’s ambition is to interpret mostly Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music for the uninitiated. Performances take place in a church in the heart of foodie Exmouth Market. They’re never more than an hour long, which helps with dinner plans.

Wine and chit-chat create an inviting ambiance before the music begins. Each carefully curated programme typically features a mix of contemporary and early composers, from living English musicians like Judith Weir and Jonathan Dove, to 16th- and 17th-century maestros like Michael Praetorius and Heinrich Schütz. The singers take it in turns to introduce each piece with just the right amount of context and enlightening observations about the arrangements. I learnt the word ‘madrigal’ at a Piculet concert and now drop it into dinner-party conversation to sound more intellectual. Very useful stuff.

Piculet is a high-calibre consort of striking voices, and has grown a devoted following over the last four years. As a side project of full-timers, the yearly programme is modest, but each concert is thoughtful and memorable. You’ll be guaranteed to leave in high spirits.

For an atmospheric soundtrack to tree-decorating or present-wrapping, you can play the setlist of their recent Christmas concert below. Piculet’s next concert, which will take place in the spring, will be Claudio Monteverdi’s Sestina. For further announcements, email consortpiculet@gmail.com to request to join their newsletter.

This article was originally published by LONDNR as part of The LOWDOWN newsletter. Sign up at londnr.substack.com/