Fête Champêtre | Babbington Park

The fête champêtre was a style of garden party adored by 18th Century French aristocracy and the popular at the Gardens of Versailles. Parties would incorporate feasts and music, with musicians performing in lavishly prepared pastoral settings and palace gardens to entertain and accompany dancing.

This program celebrates the fête champêtre with the musette, small French baroque bagpipes that were highly fashionable at the time, particularly in pastoral settings. Joined by baroque violin, viols, and baroque harp in a program of 17th and 18th Century French works, this is a joyous program to celebrate the start of Summer and kick off the festive season in true baroque style!

Don’t miss this exclusive performance of Fête Champêtre at Babbington Park in Lyonville, the home and farm of celebrated chef Annie Smithers. For this special performance you can enjoy the concert in Babbington Park’s beautiful, intimate timber chapel overlooking the rolling hills, and share a grazing table of Annie’s French farmhouse food along with a glass or two of bubbles. 

Program

Joseph Bodin de Boismortier – Balets de Village en Trio I (extracts)
François Couperin – Two Fantaisies for Two Violes
Joseph Bodin de Boismortier -Divertissement de Campagne (extracts)
Marin Marais – L'Arabesque and Les Voix Humaines 
Pierre Dubut et fils - Suite en do 
Joseph Bodin de Boismortier – Balets de Village en Trio IV (extracts)
Plus music for Christmas by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Nicholas Chédeville, and Domenico Franzaroli

Performers

Simon Rickard - musette
Jennifer Kirsner - baroque violin
Laura Vaughan - viols
Hannah Lane - baroque triple harp