Laydie Louthians Lilte Ballads, Ayres & Dances from 17th Century Scotland on CD, and live at St Bride's Church,London and Trinity College Chapel, Cambridge, 11 & 27 March 2009 Pantagruel: Hannah Morrison, Mark Wheeler & Dominik Schneider Pantagruel are three musicians from four countries (England, Germany, Iceland & Scotland) with very different musical backgrounds. They took their title from Rabelais, play "what we simply call Renaissance Musicke. We use authentic instruments and techniques of the 16th & early 17th centuries" and they wear their scholarship lightly. The group is based in Germany and visits England infrequently. Pantagruel's latest CD has been recorded by the group themselves at Colnrade, North Germany, with plenty of improvisation and to highest sonic standards. The sleeve notes are (deliberately) sparse and it is all packed intriguingly "in one of those new fangled Discbox-Sliders, with the CD in a good old fashioned "vinyl look" and a fold-out lyric sheet". Details of multi-instrumentation etc on the tracks are not included, but can be supplied on request, helpful for those of us who may be a bit shaky about their citterns and gitterns. Essential background information (including a video of the making of this CD) is to be found on their website and at MySpace. Hannah Morrison has a very distinctive voice and way of putting across a song. It is a pleasure to hear her pure, vibrato-less soprano in her native Scots. Diction is generally fine, if not obsessive about every last consonant, but as often with sopranos you can't expect to get all the subtleties of the words by ear alone. Listening enjoyment is greatly enhanced by following the songs on the lyric sheet.Of particular interest is an 8 minute version of Venus & Adonis, which is also featured in the artwork; the text is part-spoken and the accompaniment draws on several sources. There was an opportunity to hear Pantagruel live in this programme 11 March 2009 at a free lunchtime recital in the ideal venue of a packed St Bride’s Church London - (pictured).
A comment from Cambridge:
Anthony Rooley wrote about Pantagruel: See also St Bride's photos by Cecile Dubuis
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