A concert of English Baroque music for violin, viol / baroque cello and organ, reflecting the heritage of the chamber organ of 1779 by John Avery at Ponsonby Baptist Church. Performed by Alexander Pilchen (baroque violin), Polly Sussex (viola da gamba and baroque cello) and David Burchell (organ).

The organ in Ponsonby Baptist church is the oldest pipe organ in Australasia for which the builder's name is known. Originally built as a house organ for a wealthy English customer, it came to Auckland in 1859. Carefully restored to its original condition in 2004, the instrument speaks with a distinctively eighteenth-century English voice, and is the ideal companion for solo string instruments such as will feature in this concert. The programme will also include solo works for the organ.

Violinist Alexander Pilchen is a member of NZ Barok and studied the baroque violin in Germany; he has performed internationally with a number of 'period instrument' orchestras.

Polly Sussex is New Zealand's leading exponent of the viola da gamba, the fore-runner of the modern cello, and performs on all sizes of the instrument from the bass viol to the violin-sized pardessus.

David Burchell is Dunedin's City Organist and one of the New Zealand's finest players. He is a graduate of Oxford University and has a special interest in historic organs in the English tradition, and the music written for them.

This programme of finely crafted, intimate music includes works by English composers from across the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, including John Jenkins, Stephen Paxton, Orlando Gibbons, Henry Purcell, John Blow and John Stanley.