View from the Green Room: Lunchtime concert with Madrigallery
Madrigallery at Christ Church Cathedral.
Madrigallery returned to their spiritual home at Christ Church last Saturday for a lunchtime concert that attracted a fine audience for the hour-long event.
The concert was not without its problems, however. The programme featured some quality work that, as always, is Madrigallery’s trademark appeal, but some variety really needed to be added to a programme rooted in Renaissance works. A nod towards the imminent Yuletide would not have been remiss.
Music performers around Winterval stalls in Christ Church Square interrupted the concert until requests went out and asked them to delay their performance, which they were happy to do.
The concert opens with two songs from Elgar (1857-1934) for which he received the tidy sum of 125 guineas and 25% commission for each song from his publisher. Elgar’s determination to marry his music to the voice of nature is clearly seen from his thoughts… "This is what I hear all day – the trees are singing my music – or have I sung theirs?"… following his explorations of the leafy-green countryside surrounding his new home in London.
‘The Shower’ features Henry Vaughan’s (1621-1695) words and Elgar’s music as it responds to changing weather, fertile landscape, and a mysterious nature-spirit reminiscent of Wordsworth’s muse. There’s a great musical mix at work here with chopped vowels, flowing legato phrases and that spirit-lifting feel of sunshine after rain.
Elgar used the lyrics of his wife Caroline Alice Roberts Edgar’s (1848-1920) poem ‘The Snow’ to capture the cycle of winter snow as it moves from gentle fall to sparkling white and ultimately turns to flowing waters and dissolution. Written for choir, two violins (Eimear Heaney and Barry Kennedy) and piano accompaniment from Oonagh Drohan, the piece features a strong tenor line, and a celestial quality from the sopranos with some smashing fiddle interludes and a joyous choral finale.
‘I love my love’ is a Cornish folk song from Gustav Holst (1874-1934) that tells a dramatic love story with each stanza ending with ‘I love my love because I know my love loves me!’ The song features a woman whose lover is sent off to sea by his parents in an attempt to ruin the relationship. She becomes so distraught that she is sent to a mental hospital! The song features some interesting changes in rhythm and harmonies that mirror the woman’s tortured feelings and her lover’s devotion to her, and when her lover finds out about her confinement, he immediately rushes to her and they live happily ever after. Aaaah shucks.
Well, of course, there’s a couple of madrigals from Thomas Morley (1557-1602) – an up-tempo, celebratory ‘My Bonnie Lass’ – and William Byrd (1540-1623) with a gentle ‘Lullaby’ that are just delightful.
The second part of the programme featured The Vavasour Viols – Siobhán Harth, Olivia Dornan, Patricia Quinn, John Clark and Pauline Kennedy, who is also Madrigallery’s Musical Director – with tenor Jonathan Miller and Mezzo Megan Butler. The group play on instruments that are copies of 17th century stringed instruments that all resemble baroque cellos of various sizes, that are played without spikes and balanced on laps. Unfortunately, difficulties in tuning led to significant delay and took from the performance.
Still, it was interesting to hear the performance of the Viols in a section dedicated to John Dowdall (1563-1626) – English Renaissance composer, lutenist, and singer, who is best known for his melancholy songs.
John Miller gave a fine tenor performance in ‘I saw my lady weep’, coping well with the mix of slow, lengthy single notes and snappy phrases, while mezzo Megan Butler is excellent as she creates a whole mini-drama around ‘Can she excuse my wrongs’ – a song associated with Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, who was executed for treason in 1601 after he rebelled against Elizabeth I. Dangerous times!
Orban’s Daemon Irrepit Callidus (The Demon sneaks expertly) is just the ticket to send us out to the Winterval stalls for some well-needed lunchtime treats. Well done, Madrigallery.
