Meet Martyn
Meet our flautist and General Manager, who has played with Manchester Baroque since our first concert.
Do you remember your first exposure to historical performance on period instruments?
“I'd seen people playing period instruments on the telly in period dramas, then I learnt recorder at primary school including some olde tunes! I remember being fascinated by their unusual sounds, how the instruments look and how the music transports you into a different world. Really magical!”
What attracts you to historical performance and playing on period instruments?
“We live in a world where so much music sounds squeaky clean! I love the character that period instruments bring to live performances, their exotic and fabulous sounds - and knowing that all of this is what the composers had in their heads when they put quill to paper... Period instruments quite literally bring music to life.”
Do you have a favourite composer?
“I love composers whose music connects with people, with audiences and performers alike. Performing music by composers who have been dead for hundreds of years shouldn't be able to do this, and yet this is where music began, and went on to inspire generations over centuries. In Bach, Handel, Corelli you can hear the music of the present day - pop, rock, jazz...it has everything really!”
What is your most memorable moment with the ensemble so far?
“Being able to re-launch our ensemble on 10th April 2021, right in the midst of the pandemic was scary, ambitious - but so exhilarating! Our Baroque Reborn season, allowed us to get back on stage and perform alongside friends and colleagues. It reminded me of the power of music to unite and invigorate.”
What do you enjoy doing outside of music making?
“I enjoy running, pampering our elderly Pharaoh Hound and baking tasty cakes.”