Encouraged by their first Early Music Festival’s success last year, The Glasgow Barons return with more. Bringing together some of Scotland’s finest early-music artists, there are free concerts at lunchtimes as well as ticketed evening events, all within the magical setting of Govan Old Parish Church, home to the remarkable 9th/10th-century Govan Stones. 

‘Everything we do is about the regeneration of Govan and bringing people into Govan,’ says artistic director Paul MacAlindin. ‘It’s an area of deep, multiple deprivation with Govan Old slap bang in the middle of it.’ An ancient site of Christian worship, the church is ideally suited to the festival’s medieval and baroque programming. ‘We tested it with a vocal quartet and it just lit up, with voices pinging off the back wall,’ explains MacAlindin. ‘We’ve now built up a well-curated festival of local artists, people who specialise in early music in Scotland. In doing so, we have a hyper-local approach, always looking to our doorstep first.’

Right on that doorstep are vocal group Luchair Ensemble from Glasgow University, focusing on medieval repertoire, and Dunedin Consort with baroque trios. MacAlindin is particularly excited by The Wallace Collection with Steampunk Brass. ‘They don’t often get to play on their personal collections of unusual instruments. They’re all complete nerds and I asked for their nerdiest; the stuff no one ever sees or hears.’ Last year, the concerts were highly popular and MacAlindin anticipates the same again. ‘It’s not about an early-music audience, it’s about people loving the vibe. This is happening at a particular time in Govan’s history when people are really curious. But it’s also meditative and healing through the fit between music and place.’

Early Music Festival, Govan Old Parish Church, Glasgow, Friday 25–Sunday 27 July; picture: Campbell David Parker.