Once described by a critic of the Times as ‘the evening`s feisty and urbane harpsichordist’ Katharine May enjoys a varied career as a performer, teacher and baroque chamber music coach. She has written extensively for Early Music Today, Music Teacher and the British Clavichord Society, with over a hundred reviews and articles published to date. Praised by her contemporaries for her rhythmic energy and sensitivity she has performed widely for music clubs, universities and festivals throughout the UK, Europe and Canada. She has made numerous CDs performing mainly as an accompanist and continuo player, and has featured in a number of television recordings playing authentic keyboard instruments. A prize-winning graduate of the Royal College of Music in London and the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy, she was for several years an award holder for the Countess of Munster Musical Trust.

Michael Sanderson has performed as a free-lance musician and teacher since graduating in music from Nottingham University in 1986. He sang as a soloist with the touring baroque opera company Opera Restor’d for over ten years, and spent three years singing in the choir of St. George’s Chapel Windsor Castle.

He was also a member of European Voices conducted by Simon Rattle, giving concerts in Berlin, Lucerne and Brussels. Michael sings and plays with many period instrument chamber groups including Midands-based Musica Donum Dei. Before moving to Cumbria, for nearly thirty years he was Head of Student Music at Brunel University, and for sixteen years, director of Renaissance Voices a chamber choir based in Berkshire. Since moving to Cumbria Michael now plays with Newcastle Baroque Orchestra and is the musical director of K Shoes Male Voice Choir. Folk fiddle playing is a big part of Michael’s life and his duo with the guitarist Brian McDaid has also flourished since the move north.

Katharine and Michael established Eden Baroque after moving to Cumbria in 2017 with the aim of bringing well-known and less performed baroque chamber music to as wide an audience as possible. Their first concert in Great Salkeld was followed by performances in Kirkoswald, Keswick, Patterdale, Askham Hall, Scalesceugh Hall, Penrith, Hutton in the Forest, The Heron Theatre Beetham, and with the Herdwyck Consort in Kirkby Stephen. They have twice appeared on BBC Radio Cumbria’s ‘The Arty Show’ and gave a feature interview to Cumbria Life magazine. They recorded their first CD with the guitarist Ian Gammie before making their Christmas CD `Christmas in Eden` in 2021. More recently they have given concerts for Alnwick, Grange-over-Sands, Hawick, Grimsby and Aberfoyle music clubs, Tatham Fells and Penrith (as part of a collaborative concert with the Penrith Singers), as well as in their own Music Room at Dufton House, North Dyke where their varied programmes are attracting an ever-widening audience. They have tutored and given concerts as part of their baroque chamber music course at Higham Hall, Lake Bassenthwaite since 2022, and future dates include performances for Lanark Music Club and a return visit to The Heron Theatre.  Details of future concerts, courses and information about private teaching can be found on their website…

`Such a lovely concert, your audience absolutely enjoyed every minute. You and Michael have enriched our lives`

 `a polished performance, well researched and well-rehearsed, demonstrating that you perform ‘superbly well’ together and with evident love of the music you were performing`.

`We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at the concert yesterday, and your performance was nothing less than brilliant`. 

www.edenvalleymusic.co.uk