London International Festival of Early Music

London International Festival of Early Music

~ Andrew Benson-Wilson

London International Festival of Early Music
Double Book Launch, Dorothee Oberlinger & Peter Kofler
Blackheath Halls. 13 November 2025


What is now the London International Festival of Early Music has been through several incarnations since its inception in 1973. Originally housed at the Royal College of Music, it moved to the Royal Horticultural Halls and then to the sumpuous surroundings of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich as the Royal Greenwich International Early Music, which then moved to Blackheath Halls, eventually changing to the current name. Run by the Early Music Shop, the main focus is on the three-day exhibition of instrument makers, retailers, publishers, record companies, early music forums, the National Early Music Association and other related societies, which combine with concerts of various types. Every other year, it hosts a solo recorder competition.

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London International Festival of Early Music

~ Andrew Benson-Wilson

London International Festival of Early Music
November 2022
Now available to view on Marquee TV

For those who, like me, were not able to get to this November’s London International Festival of Early Music (LIFEM), the five concerts from St Michael & All Angels Church, Blackheath can now be viewed on Marquee TV under the heading LIFEM 2020. The link is here. You can use the code LIFEM50 to sign up for a free seven-day trial, as well as 50% off an annual Marquee TV subscription. Concerts from the 2021 festival are also available to view.

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Solo Recorder Competition

~ Andrew Benson-Wilson

Society of Recorder Players/Moeck Solo Recorder Competition
London International Festival of Early Music
St. Margaret’s, Lee Terrace, Blackheath
Friday 12th November 2021

It has been 30 years since the biennial Society of Recorder Players/Moeck Solo Recorder Competition (founded in 1985) linked with what is now the London International Festival of Early Music (LIFEM), a collaboration that incorporates the competition final and a recital by the winner at the following year’s festival. This year the venue was the fascinating church of St. Margaret’s, Lee, a simple early Victorian building in Early English style with spectacular interior decorations dating from the latter decades of the 19th-century. This church was a distinct improvement from the previous venue, as was the organisation of the event – an issue in previous competitions (see my review of the 2019 LIFEM here).

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Early Music Young Ensemble Competition

~ Andrew Benson-Wilson

Early Music Young Ensemble Competition
MokkaBarock, Ensemble Pro Victoria, Ensemble Hesperi
LIFEM: DIGITAL
London International Festival of Early Music
8 November 2020

The London International Festival of Early Music series of events continued, under the banner of LIFEM: DIGITAL, with their Early Music Young Ensemble Competition, the final of which usually occurs every two years during their live festival. This year the competition took place online, with the three finalists’ recitals streamed on the festival’s website on Sunday, 8th November. After a preliminary round of the competition based on video entries, the three finalists’ recitals were recorded under ‘live’ conditions. Two of the groups were UK based, the other being from Salzburg.

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LIFEM DIGITAL: Fretwork

~ Andrew Benson-Wilson

Fretwork
London International Festival of Early Music
5 November 2020

Another festival to turn to an online rather than a live presence is the annual London International Festival of Early Music with a series of nightly concerts under the banner of LIFEM: DIGITAL, recorded in their usual venues in and around Blackheath is south-east London. The first concert was given by the viol consort Fretwork, who celebrated the 30th anniversary in 2016. The concert ended with a world premiere of The Tudor Pull by John Paul Jones who many will know as the most modest member of the legendary multi-instrumentalist of the 1970/802 rock group Led Zeppelin.

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London International Festival of Early Music

~ Andrew Benson-Wilson

London International Festival of Early Music
Society of Recorder Players/Moeck Solo Recorder Competition Finals
Blackheath, 7-8 November 2019

London International Festival of Early Music now seems to be firmly ensconced in Blackheath after some years in Greenwich under a variety of earlier names. Hosted by the Early Music Shop, an exhibition of instruments and music (in the Blackheath Halls) forms the centre of the three-day festival. The three-day programme of concerts and events around the exhibition includes makers demonstration recitals, performer platforms for younger musicians, workshops and more formal concerts by professionals. Every other year, the festival hosts the finals of Society of Recorder Players/Moeck Solo Recorder Competition, the winner getting a recital during the following year’s festival. Last year they introduced the first of their Early Music Young Ensemble Competition Finals. Last year’s review can be seen here. Continue reading →