The Mediaeval Baebes – 30th Anniversary Tour

The internationally acclaimed Mediaeval Baebes are marking an extraordinary milestone: thirty years of timeless song. To celebrate three decades of ethereal music, haunting harmonies and genre-defying artistry, the ensemble will perform at Exeter Cathedral on Tuesday 1 December, as part of their special 30th Anniversary Tour. The story of the Mediaeval Baebes began in 1996 when musical director and composer Katharine Blake, slipped into London’s Abney Park Cemetery at midnight, to sing madrigals with a group of friends. From these unconventional beginnings emerged one of the most distinctive and celebrated vocal groups of modern times. Over the past thirty years, the Mediaeval Baebes have released 12 studio albums and won an Ivor Novello Award for their performance on the BBC serialisation “The Virgin Queen”. They have also received two Emmy nominations, and a Royal Television Society award as the featured artist alongside composer Martin Phipps, for the theme tune of ITV’s hit TV show “Victoria”. With each concert starting with a torchlit procession, accompanied by a musical fanfare of medieval instruments and drums, the celebration will include tracks from the latest album The Spinning Wheel. Showcasing a richly woven collection of twelve songs inspired by the months of the year, they journey through the seasons from frost-bright winter laments to the heat-hazed longing of high summer. Audiences can expect voices that shimmer. Stories that linger. And music that feels at once both centuries old and strikingly new! Thirty years on the wheel still turns… and you are warmly invited to join them on a musical journey of celebration, myth and song. Throughout their many incarnations the Mediaeval Baebes have captivated audiences worldwide, touring extensively across the UK, United States, Canada, Asia, and Europe. Their performances have spanned an extraordinary range of venues, from castles and caves, to cathedrals and festival stages. Highlights include appearances at the Royal Albert Hall, Carnglaze Caverns in Cornwall, Jersey Opera House and Tewkesbury Abbey; along with the iconic Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival. They have toured alongside Jools Holland, supported Michael Flatley in Hyde Park, and performed at the renowned Lilith Fair. To celebrate thirty years of music-making, the Mediaeval Baebes will once again be bring past and present together in a soundscape that is entirely their own. And, steeped in timeless enchantment, the concert experience will magically weave together ancient texts, traditional melodies and original compositions.