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While almost 90% of our print readers reside in the UK, our growing digital audience is nearly 60% non-UK OUNT M KATE KATE ICHMOND R RIC Handelian experts E Adrian Horsewood speaks to the BROOK STREET BAND about their undiminished enthusiasm for the music of Britain’s best-loved German musical import pon meeting the Brook Street sense, a task begun a decade ago: the the help of the keen ears of sound Band, one quickly learns that Band’s second CD was of the Op. 5 engineer Simon Fox-Gál, who has there are two things more collection of trio sonatas, and they produced all of the Band’s CDs; he’s dear to their collective hearts released the Op. 2 set in 2013). clearly now an important part of the Uthan nearly anything else. The first, As we sat outside on some of the gang, which only adds to the openness quite naturally, is the music of Georg gravestones, basking in the late summer and good nature of the sessions). From Frideric Handel — the group takes its Norfolk sunshine, Theo talks me time to time the discussion between name from the address of the through the background to the pieces takes grows fairly animated and composer’s main London residence — they’re tackling. ‘It’s all music from fairly opinions are insistently put across, but which has been the bedrock of the early in Handel’s career, from Italy in it’s always focused, friendly, and firmly Band’s work since its founding in 1996. 1707 to his voyage to Dresden in 1719. music-orientated. Finally, the infelicities The second, slightly less expectedly, is He has such a reputation for being a are ironed out, the players loosen up, food: when I caught up with the Band it great “recycler’ of music — both his own and soon they’re all smiling, even in the was during their lunch break in the and other people’s — and if you love middle of some fiendish passages. middle of a day of recording, and after Handel as I do, it’s great fun to spot ‘We often come together for a tucking into one of the most sumptuous where the same material pops up in recording and consciously start with a Gothic revival inter-session spreads I’ve ever seen, different places! Some of what we’re clean slate, even if it’s a piece that we’ve GOTHIC VOICES made headlines in the 1980s with one of the best-selling classical most of our conversation strands seemed recording this time turns up in the later played hundreds of times before,’ to turn themselves back towards the trio sonatas and even in an organ remarks Theo in the next break. ‘We’ve albums of all time, but they’ve never rested on their laurels, as Edward Breen discovers topic of cooking, or ingredients, or concerto.’ played together so much and for so long picnics … If this sounds flippant, there is a more he re-emergence of Gothic of partially texted or completely through descriptions of music-making in serious side to this observation; namely, We’ve played together so much and for so long Voices earlier this year proved un-texted musical lines in manuscript medieval romances and with Gothic that such a lively shared interest — that we know what every gesture, every breath, just the tonic for those of us sources and was further justified by the Voices realized his findings through a ‘Food is important to us!’ laughs Tatty mourning the retirement of the inability of many pre-early music revival series of sensational albums. It is worth Theo, the Band’s cellist and founding every raised eyebrow means THilliard Ensemble. Considering that both performers to sing with clarity of revisiting some key tracks here: member — has helped to create a strong produced chart-topping discs featuring ensemble. Medieval music was therefore bond between the members of the medieval music – itself no mean feat – presented horizontally: a woven fabric of COLUMBA ASPEXIT group. This, allied to the relatively stable After the extended lunch break, the that we know what every gesture, every there is a pleasing symmetry to such a melodies each demanding aural A feather on the breath of God: Sequences and line-up of the Band — harpsichordist Band launches into a fresh piece, a breath, every raised eyebrow means! In recalibration of the medieval vocal scene. delineation. Richard Rastall once Hymns by Saint Hildegard of Bingen Carolyn Gibley joined in 1999, violinist sonata in B flat, the fiery semiquavers of fact, we don’t even always rehearse a Gothic Voices enjoy a well-earned memorably dubbed this the ‘crumhorn- Hyperion CDA66039 (1981) Farran Scott not long after, while fellow the outer movements serving to shake programme on the day of a performance reputation as trailblazers in performance with-everything’ approach. Commissioned by Ted Perry of Hyperion violinist Rachel Harris was also there at off any post-prandial torpor. It’s clear — we’re happy to take things as they practice, having recorded over 300 pieces During the 1970s a combination of Records after hearing an early Gothic the beginning with Theo but took a that spontaneity and fresh thinking are come in the concert and respond in the of music each with exquisite musicological research and deft singing Voices broadcast, this album proved a temporary sabbatical a few years ago — crucial to its way of working as, after a spur of the moment to a different thoughtfulness, precision and poignancy. disrupted that status quo. Notably, huge success. The combination of means that the group has a close-knit, couple of complete takes, the four phrasing here or a change in articulation Such collective history is neatly Andrew Parrott’s a cappella performance Hildegard’s melodic fluidity, Emma yet relaxed, dynamic, which is musicians stop for extended discussion there.’ encapsulated in their tag line: of Machaut’s Messe de Nostre Dame in the Kirkby’s soaring vocals and the mesmeric immediately clear when watching them and dissection in which each is happy The new disc will be released in 2016, ‘unaccompanied close medieval first York Early Music Festival (1977) sent effect of drones have kept this album at in action. both to offer and receive detailed to coincide with the culmination of the harmonies’, and for those unaware of ripples amongst scholars of medieval the top of Hyperion’s sales lists. The quartet had retired to their usual comments on stylistic and technical Band’s 20th anniversary season, an all- the musicology synonymous with this music. Christopher Page, the founder of venue of St Andrew’s church on the aspects. Harris remarks that the piece is Handel (of course) concert at the ensemble, allow me to indulge in a Gothic Voices, remembered how Parrott’s ROSE, LIZ, PRINTEMPS, Raveningham estate, 15 miles south-east clearly ‘the work of a composer writing Wigmore Hall featuring some of the quick recap. ‘dignity of conception, and the complete VERDURE of Norwich — all but one of their CDs keyboard lines for string instruments — group’s most popular and successful Until the late 1970s scholars of absence of triviality, gimmickry and The Mirror of Narcissus: Songs by Guillaume (all released by Avie Records) to date all the string figurations are the “wrong” repertoire. ‘Two of our longest-standing medieval music performance prescribed undue haste, left a profound impression’. de Machaut have been recorded there — to record way round for the bow!’ colleagues, soprano Nicki Kennedy and instrumental participation.