Funchal Guitar Quartet in concert
A chamber concert for classical guitars in a small neo-Gothic church, with a welcome drink in the garden, a small gift and commentary on the pieces.
Is it a good evening out?
Is a classical guitar concert in Funchal worth an evening?
The short answer
Yes, when you are in the mood for an hour of live classical guitar in a small church, with a welcome drink in the garden first. The booking page rates the concert highly and sums up visitor reviews as praise for the musicians' skill and the intimate setting. It is a short, quiet, seated concert, so it suits people who like to listen. It is not a dinner, a dance night or a fado house.
- 01
What you are buying
A concert by the Funchal Guitar Quartet, a chamber group based in Funchal that specialises in classical guitar. The booking page promises styles from traditional classical pieces to contemporary compositions, commentary on the pieces, a welcome drink and a small gift on arrival.
- 02
What you will not get
No meal, no dancing and no big stage. The church has no restroom, the drink is poured in the garden and is not available in the rain, and a few stairs at the entrance rule out wheelchairs and pushchairs.
- 03
Treat the programme as a mood
The booking page says the programme and structure may change without notice. Pieces named on this site show the kind of music to expect and are not a promise for your date. Plan to arrive 20 to 30 minutes early.
The evening in four lines
- Where
- St Andrew's church, Rua Conselheiro José Silvestre Ribeiro 39, Funchal.
- On stage
- The Funchal Guitar Quartet, four classical guitarists.
- Length
- One hour, with the starting time in the calendar.
- With the ticket
- A welcome drink in the garden and a small gift.
The music on offer
What four classical guitars can play
The booking page and the visitors who review it describe a range that runs from classical to contemporary, with Portuguese music, fado and tango among the pieces people mention. The strands below show the kind of music on offer.
- Classical
Traditional classical pieces
The booking page describes the repertoire as running from traditional classical pieces to contemporary ones. The classical guitar has a long tradition to draw on: Wikipedia names baroque composers such as Gaspar Sanz and Robert de Visée, the nineteenth-century player Francisco Tárrega, whom it calls the father of modern classical guitar playing, and the twentieth-century composer Joaquín Rodrigo.
- Portuguese
Portuguese traditional and popular music
A September 2024 preview in the Madeiran newspaper DNoticias called the quartet's programme eclectic, running from Portuguese traditional and popular music to contemporary compositions. Four guitars can pass a melody between them in a way a single guitar cannot.
- Fado
Fado, played on classical guitars
A German visitor's review on the booking page lists fado beside classical, tango and contemporary pieces. Wikipedia traces fado to 1820s Lisbon and names the Portuguese guitar, a twelve-string steel-strung instrument, as its iconic partner. On four nylon-string guitars the same songs sound softer.
- Tango
Tango
The same review mentions tango. Wikipedia says Astor Piazzolla, born in Argentina in 1921, reshaped tango into what it calls nuevo tango, and that he wrote a Tango Suite for the guitar duo Sergio and Odair Assad. Which tango, if any, you hear on your night is the quartet's choice.
- Today
Contemporary pieces and originals
The DNoticias preview says the quartet uses modern string techniques and sound effects to evoke natural phenomena, and the quartet's own reply to a visitor mentions original pieces. Expect some music that sounds less like a guitar recital and more like weather.
- Talk
Commentary between the pieces
The booking page says the performance includes commentary that gives context about the repertoire, and a Dutch visitor describes short introductions to each piece. The host's languages on the booking page are English and Portuguese.
The booking page says the programme and structure may change, so no piece here is promised for your night.
The hour, step by step
From the garden gate to the last chord
Your calendar gives the starting time for every date.
- 01 Arrive
Reach the church early
The booking page asks you to arrive 20 to 30 minutes before the concert. The address is Rua Conselheiro José Silvestre Ribeiro 39, in Funchal's São Martinho parish, and the church sits in a small garden.
- 02 Welcome
A drink and a small gift
A welcome drink is served in the garden and a small gift is handed over on arrival. With no indoor space for serving, the drink is not available when it rains.
- 03 Sit
Take a pew
The nave is single and the ceiling is a high timber roof. There are a few stairs at the entrance, which is why the booking page rules out wheelchairs and pushchairs.
- 04 Listen
One hour of guitars
The quartet plays for an hour, with commentary on the pieces. The booking page does not allow filming or sound recording.
- 05 After
A second gift, then dinner
A second small gift follows the concert. The church has no restroom, and the concert includes only the welcome drink, so plan dinner for afterwards or before.
Ticket details
Before you pick a date
What the ticket covers, what it leaves out and the rules at the door.
- Length
- One hour, according to the booking page. The calendar gives the starting time for each date.
- Welcome
- A welcome drink in the garden, a small gift on arrival and a second one after the concert.
- Arrival
- Be there 20 to 30 minutes before the start. The quartet recommends the longer margin to enjoy the drink without rushing.
- Access
- A few stairs at the entrance, so no wheelchairs or pushchairs. The church has no restroom.
- House rules
- Cameras, filming, sound recording, bare feet and animals are all barred, apart from assistance dogs. Bachelor and bachelorette groups are excluded.
- Languages
- The host speaks English and Portuguese. The music needs no translation, and the language is chosen in the booking calendar.
The church and its garden
A neo-Gothic church in a garden
The nave looking towards the chancel, the organ, the doorway, the stained glass, the garden gate and the side of the church from the street.
Four ways to fill a Madeira day
The concert, and three more outings
Card one is the guitar concert covered here. The other three are Funchal and Madeira outings with plenty of reviews: a guided walk through the old town, a catamaran trip along the coast and a guided hike between two of the island's highest peaks.
A walk through Funchal's old town
A guided walk with a visit to the farmers' market, the City Hall, the Cathedral and a wine lodge.
Dolphins and whales by catamaran
A catamaran trip along the Madeiran coast towards the Cabo Girão promontory, watching for dolphins, whales and turtles.
Pico Arieiro to Pico Ruivo
A guided hike between two of Madeira's high peaks, through jagged rock and lava-veined volcanic stone when the route is safe.
Other Madeira outings worth a look
Practical notes
Reaching the church, and what to pack
Finding it
St Andrew's stands at Rua Conselheiro José Silvestre Ribeiro 39, in Funchal's São Martinho parish, where the booking page puts the meeting point under the name Igreja Presbiteriana da Madeira. Wikipedia says the parish takes in the Lido hotel zone.
Not the English church
Funchal's Anglican Holy Trinity church, known as the English Church, is a different building. Visit Madeira says it was built in 1822 by the British consul Henry Veitch. Your concert is at St Andrew's.
Rain
The garden drink is not served in the rain, because there is no indoor space for it. The concert itself goes on inside the church.
Warm evenings
Some visitors on the booking page say the church can feel warm on hot evenings. Wikipedia describes Funchal's climate as subtropical and warm all year, so dress in light layers.
Shoes
Bare feet are not allowed. Wear something you can walk in on garden paths and a few stairs.
Food
Eat before or after. The concert includes a welcome drink and a small gift, and nothing more.
If plans change
A cancellation made a full day before the concert brings a full refund, and the booking can be held with payment due later.
More reading
Six guides to the Funchal guitar concert
- Start here
A classical guitar concert in Funchal: what it is like
An hour with a classical guitar quartet in a small Funchal church: what the music and the room are like, who enjoys it and whether it earns an evening in Madeira. Read the guide → - Which evening
Guitar concert or folklore evening in Madeira?
A seated classical guitar hour in a Funchal church or a folk evening of song and dance in costume: how the two differ, what each gives you and who should pick which. Read the guide → - The instruments
Classical guitar, Portuguese guitar, viola de arame: which is which?
Three plucked instruments you may meet on a Madeira trip, how many strings each has, what each is used for and which one the Funchal quartet plays. Read the guide → - The tradition
Madeira's plucked strings: from the braguinha to the ukulele
The small guitars of Madeira, how they travelled to Hawaii and became the ukulele, and where the island's plucked-string tradition meets a classical guitar concert. Read the guide → - The place
St Andrew's, the Scottish church in Funchal
The small neo-Gothic church in a Funchal garden where the guitar quartet plays: what its plaque says, how it came about and how to tell it from the English church. Read the guide → - Before you go
Before you go: arrival, garden, stairs and house rules
A practical checklist for the Funchal guitar concert: when to arrive, what happens in the garden, the stairs, the rules in the church and what to do about dinner. Read the guide →
FAQ
Questions before you book
Is a classical guitar concert in Funchal worth it?
Yes, if you enjoy live music in a quiet room. The booking page sums up visitor reviews as praise for skilled musicianship and an intimate setting. It is one hour, seated, with no meal, so judge it as a concert.
Where is the concert held?
At St Andrew's, the Presbyterian church in Funchal, at Rua Conselheiro José Silvestre Ribeiro 39 in the São Martinho parish. A plaque at the church calls it the Scottish Church.
Who plays?
The Funchal Guitar Quartet, a chamber group based in Funchal that specialises in classical guitar.
What music will I hear?
Styles from traditional classical to contemporary. Visitors mention fado, tango and original pieces too. The programme can change, so no piece is promised.
How long is it, and when should I arrive?
One hour. The booking page asks you to arrive 20 to 30 minutes early, and the calendar lists the starting time for each date.
Is a drink included?
A welcome drink is served in the garden, and a small gift is handed out. In the rain the drink is not available.
Can I go with a wheelchair, a pushchair or young children?
The booking page says the concert is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs, because of a few stairs at the entrance, and it marks young children as not suited to it. Read its age line before you book.
Is this site connected with the church or the quartet?
No. It is an independent guide. Bookings are made with GetYourGuide, and the church and the quartet did not write or endorse these pages.
A classical guitar quartet plays an hour of music in a small neo-Gothic church in Funchal, after a welcome drink in the garden.
Book the guitar concert ↗The calendar converts the price into your own currency.