19. December, 2026
On 19 December at 6.00 pm, Bauska Castle Museum invites you to a special musical experience – a Christmas concert programme by the early music ensemble ‘The Playfords’, in which melodies that have travelled through the centuries will come to life, still captivating audiences with their beauty and the magic of the festive season.
The concert ‘Nova! Nova!’ will allow you to experience Christmas music in its most ancient, yet surprisingly vibrant form, where ancient tranquillity, solemn reverence and joyful festive energy coexist. Performed by “The Playfords”, these ancient melodies take on a freedom of improvisation, a playfulness and a lively stage presence, sounding both authentic and contemporary at the same time.
The ensemble will perform European Christmas music from the 14th to the 18th centuries – ranging from Germany to England, France and Spain. The ancient melodies will be performed on Baroque violins, lutes, recorders, the viola da gamba, percussion and the carillon.
The aim of the early music ensemble ‘The Playfords’ is to revive the almost lost tradition of the improvising musician from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, allowing the music to reveal a wide range of Christmas moods – from peaceful restraint to energetic joy – with a few subtle references to the present day.
During the event, visitors may be photographed or filmed for publicity purposes.