Founded by Soprano Jessica Eucker and Harpsichordist Oliver Doyle in 2016, Musica Antica Rotherhithe brings varied programmes of Early Music to SE16. Since then, it has grown to involve a permanent ensemble of five professional singers, violinists and continuo, with associated artists joining to perform its hallmark repertoire of 17th Century Venetian opera, as well as music of the late Middle Ages, Renaissance and early 18th Century.
Some of our most ambitious projects have included our production of the anonymous, one-act 17th Century comedy Lo Spedale (2018, revived 2019 & 2024), The UK premiere of Michelangelo Falvetti's (1642-1692)
Il Diluvio Universale (2020), and the first complete performance of Domenico Belli's (d. 1627) L'Orfeo Dolente since the 17th Century, accompanied by an edition complete with critical notes and parallel translation released on the public domain.
You can see a complete list of our previous performances here.
Aiming to make Early Music accessible and exciting while programming some of the most rarely heard works of the Early Modern period, each concert forms a carefully-constructed drama, with tickets rarely costing more than £10, and editions of the music (often only available in manuscript form) made readily available for free.
If you have any questions for Oliver and Jess, or are interested in becoming involved in our work - either musically, by donating time to help spread the word, or helping to fund our concerts and staged works - please contact us at info@musicaantica.org.uk
RÉSEAU EUROPÉEN DE MUSIQUE ANCIENNE
EUROPEAN EARLY MUSIC NETWORK
We are delighted to have been selected as one of fifteen ensembles from across Europe to participate in the European Early Music Network's REMArkable scheme, providing support for young ensembles and recognising diversity, creativity and ambition in programming.
Listen
Your Visit
Until the mid-1990s, the Rotherhithe Peninsula remained fairly separate from the rest of the city, serviced by only one bus, ferry, and what was known as the East London Line, running from Crystal Palace to Whitechapel. Today travel is far easier, with the Jubilee Line, London Overground, multiple bus services and nearby National Rail stations making travel to our home venue of Holy Trinity Church, Rotherhithe, simple. Below you can find a number of options on how to get here, and information on our venue and local eateries.
Getting Here
Our Venue
Jubilee line to Canada Water
The Jubilee line will take you to Canada Water station in just 8 minutes from Waterloo, from where you can take a 381 (towards Waterloo) alighting at Downtown Road, C10 (towards Victoria) alighting at Surrey Dock Farm, or take the pleasant walk )(around 15 minutes) through Russia Dock Woodland.
Overground to Surrey Quays or Canada Water
The overground network takes you within a 15-minute walk (or short bus-ride!) of the church, is often less-busy than the tube and is air-conditioned.
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Thames Clipper
If you live near the thames, the Clipper service to Greenland Dock is perhaps the quickest way to reach Rotherhithe from central london or Greenwich, and the most scenic - if also the most expensive.
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Bus from Waterloo or Victoria
The 381 from Waterloo (towards Peckham) and C10 from Victoria (towards Canada Water) will take you to the Church's front door in around 30-40 minutes.
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Parking
There is also limited parking available for anyone travelling by car. Please email us if you would like to reserve a free parking space, as preference will be given to Blue-Badge holders.
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Holy Trinity Church, Rotherhithe, was first built in 1837 on land granted by Well's Shipyard (the site of what is now Surrey Docks Farm). Destroyed on the first night of the Blitz, on 7th September 1940, it was rebuilt in the mid 1950s. While post-war architectural styles continue to divide opinion, Holy Trinity was left (perhaps by accident) with a rare, Byzantine-style barrel vaulted ceiling, and a huge mural painted by German-Jew Hans Feibusch. The result is a fantastic acoustic and the perfect balance between intimacy and size which lends itself to our core repertoire of 16th and 17th Century chamber music and opera.
A well-stocked bar serving wine, beer, soft drinks and the church's signature infused spirits (in cocktails or as bottles to take home - they make fantastic gifts!) is open every concert night from 7pm.
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Both the Ship and Whale and Blacksmith's Arms are excellent pubs within a 5 minute walk of the Church, serving food before and after the concert. If you have a little more time to spare before the concert begins, The Angel, Mayflower and Ship are located in the ancient heart of the settlement on west of the Rotherhithe Peninsula, and are around a 30-minute walk from our venue.