How to apply

We are now fully programmed for the 2026 Festival which will explore the theme of Bringers of Dreams 2-25 October 2026.

Our 2027 theme will be Secrets, Ciphers and Skytales, and you can read more information below. Proposals for 2027 should be submitted via our Concert Proposal form. We will be accepting proposals for BREMF 2027 until until August 2026. We will aim to respond to all proposals by November 2026.

BREMF's programming ethos and 2027 Festival theme

Our theme for 2027 is Secrets, Ciphers and Skytales and the festival will take place in October 2027.

Music and language are infused with subtle and discrete codes of communication.
We come to a shared understanding by exploring and decoding patterns, and many of us take delight in solving a cipher or piecing together an elusive puzzle. Many composers built secretive messages or codes into the music that they wrote, and for BREMF 2027 we invite proposals that explore hidden musical messages. Some research inspiration for programme ideas can be found below.

Submit a concert proposal >

Some inspirations around the theme of SECRETS, CIPHERS AND SKYTALES

For BREMF 2027, we seek proposals on the idea of ‘Secrets, Ciphers and Skytales’.

We are happy to receive proposals from ensembles working in any early music specialism from medieval to early classical, as well as traditional music. We welcome project ideas of all formats, but performances must focus on music written pre-1800.

Proposals could include (but are not limited to) programmes that explore:

  • Music that composers left for others to piece together before the parts could be performed
  • The role of music to allow communities to share cultural or religious practices with privacy
  • Instances of composers referencing music by fellow composers in a musical homage
  • Musical codes used to convey words or hide meaning from unintended recipients (e.g. using musical ciphers)
  • Stories of musical espionage and the roles of musicians in historical courts
  • The role of music to allow individuals to share romantic messages with privacy
  • Instances of composers hiding words or names within the musical material
  • The use of music in riddle-based games
  • Unique or community-specific forms of notation (eg. different kinds of tablature)

Applying to perform at BREMF - general information

  • The Festival takes place across several weekends in October each year.
  • Proposals to perform in BREMF will only be considered if they are submitted via our concert proposal Google Form.
  • We programme around specific themes for each Festival.
  • Although we do programme young artists in the festival, we also run a full Emerging Artists scheme for singers and ensembles. For more information,  please click here
  • We are unlikely to take off-the-peg programmes unless they work within our theme. We often collaborate with ensembles to build programmes that will resonate with our themes and stimulate new ways of presenting and contextualising music.
  • With no core funding, we operate on a tight budget. Proposals from ensembles based outside of the UK are likely to be more possible if they are subsidised or part of a funded tour that coincides with our festival dates.