Review Details
CANTORES AD PORTAM and UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN BAROQUE ENSEMBLE
Alan Cooper
15 October 2008
KING’S COLLEGE CHAPEL
King’s College Chapel was filled almost to capacity for the first Teatime Concert of a new session as a host of students turned out to hear their colleagues and staff in a concert of renaissance and baroque music played on authentic period instruments. Six recorder players of Cantores ad Portam opened the recital with Four Dances by Anthony Holborne, a composer of English consort music who flourished during the reign of Elizabeth I. The dances consisted of two sextets, The Honeysuckle and Heigh Ho Holiday, a quintet, Noel’s Galliard and an attractive quartet, Bonny Sweet Robin. All were elegantly played with a satisfying instrumental balance and a seductive rhythmic lilt.
Variety was the byword of this concert and so the recorder consort was followed by a Partita in G Major for baroque oboe and harpsichord with Elspeth McKay on oboe supported by David Smith. The six short movements began with a Siciliana which had echoes of birdsong about it. The three fast movements Allegro or Presto were suitably light and nimble while the Affettuoso lived up to its title and the concluding Tempo di Minuetto was both elegant and liltingly played.
I have already mentioned variety, and what could have been more astonishing than the addition of dance to the programme. Frauke Jürgensen had already appeared in the recorder consort and here she was in full costume looking for all the world like a Royal Doulton figurine in blue, brought to life and dancing to the music of Corelli: excerpts of his Variations on La Follia played on baroque recorder by Ed Friday with once again David Smith on Harpsichord. I am in no way qualified to comment on the authenticity or otherwise of the dancing but the steps are recorded in a collection entitled Recueil de dances (1709) by Raoul-Auget Feuillet who as the choreographer of a new type of ballet, the comedieballet in 1700 invented a means of notating the steps for posterity. The composer with whom he worked was Lully.
And to follow the dance, what could have been more startlingly different than a Cantata: Number 57 by J. S. Bach, Selig ist der Mann? And here once again was the multi talented or should I upgrade that to the omni talented Frauke Jürgensen both as soprano soloist and as baroque oboe player!
The small baroque orchestra led by David Smith from the harpsichord made a suitably authentic sound. Paul Tierney was the baritone soloist, strong and accurate in some very difficult music and Frauke Jürgensen nearly stole the show with her lovely singing of the aria Ich ende behende mein irdisches Leben with a splendid violin accompaniment from Ronnie Gibson. This was an excellent start to the new season.