Seasonal music breaking out across Perth as the countdown begins

It’s starting to feel a lot like Christmas, with seasonal music breaking out in churches across Perth as the countdown begins.

This Friday, Christmas with HIP Company at Christ Church, Claremont, will broach early and Baroque repertoire, with festive works by Corelli and Handel, Monteverdi and Merula, and new settings of carols from England, Ireland, Germany and Mexico.

The ensemble, launched in August this year, specialises in historically informed performance — the acronym in the title — with soprano Bonnie de la Hunty, Sarah Papadopoulos (Baroque violin) and Krista Low (Baroque cello and viola da gamba).

They are joined by guests Eliza McCracken (violin) and Aidan Deasy (lute) for a journey through the Christmas story.

All the artists are specialists in early music, which De la Hunty said was especially attractive at Christmas.

“There’s so much nice Baroque Christmas music,” she said. “I guess in Baroque music the emotions are very clear so the joy of Christmas is very festive.

“We have excerpts from the Messiah, some traditional carols from different countries from the 16th and 17 centuries.

“We have some Bach and Corelli, and some arrangements of old works.”

The popular soprano has been busy, singing with West Coast Philharmonic on Saturday at Government House, and for Advents Carols at St Georges Cathedral on Sunday — Advent, of course, being the true church season until Christmas Eve.

Christmas with HIP Company starts at 7pm on Friday, December 4, at Christ Church Claremont. Tickets are available at www.trybooking.com/blnkr.