The wheels on the bass go round and round…
If you’ve recently seen members of the Armonico Consort walking gingerly onto stage in concerts, there’s a good reason why. Along with TV wine guru Oz Clarke, a longterm friend of the choir, the Warwick-based ensemble and their conductor Christopher Monks embarked on a 200-mile cycle ride in early September with the aim of raising £10,000 towards creating and running new children’s choirs. Heading from Coventry to Bournemouth over four days, The Oz and Armonico Great Bike Adventure stopped regularly at pubs en route to treat the locals to a little recital of Monteverdi, Purcell and others, enjoy a quick bit of liquid refreshment, and then move on. It was a painful experience for some (the ride, that is, not the recitals), but a truly worthwhile one.