The King's Consort (Young Artists' Concert)

Wigmore Hall 18 November 2005

This month the King's Consort celebrated its 25 th Anniversary with a Young Artists Concert. A bitterly cold November evening did not deter supporters from attending in strength. The weather did claim one victim – the counter tenor Iestyn Davies was scheduled to appear but was indisposed. The Welsh connection was maintained by his replacement, Ben Davies, a baritone, who sang in the cantata Amore Traditore by J S Bach. He coped valiantly with an unfamiliar text, while his accompanist, Matthew Halls, recently appointed Associate Director of the Consort, skilfully negotiated the intricate counterpoint of this score.

This was followed by what proved to be the most enjoyable event of the evening when the Callini Quartet played Schumann's Quartet Op 41 No 3. All the composer's obsessive affection for his wife is expressed in the music in a form new to him but attaining new heights of lyricism. The Quartet, formed in 1999, displayed total absorption in its changing moods. The players (Iona Petcu-Colan, Sarah Sexton, Samantha Hutchins and Sarah McMahon) managed to convey some of their pleasure in such unrestrained music-making.

After the interval, the Saraband Consort, who specialise in vocal music with period instruments, presented a selection of madrigals. They began with a couple of texts from the Psalms, set by Schutz, flavoured with a suitably Teutonic earnestness. The sun came out, however, when the language changed to Italian, with settings by Marenzio and Monteverdi. The latter provided examples of the “Seconds Prattica” style; music with the theme that ‘considers harmony not commanding but commanded, and makes the words mistress of the harmony'. This violently contrasts with the more austere approach favoured by the Church. The vocal resources of this group were impressive, if the sopranos tended to be rather dominant. They were led by their Director, Benjamin Bayl, who also has had considerable experience of playing and conducting in opera.

The final item on the programme was provided by Xacona (directors Molly Marsh and Jorge Jiminez) a period instrument ensemble, currently the Resident Ensemble at Girton College . It utilises the services of young musicians from six different countries playing a variety of instruments. A Sonata by Georg Muffat was their first offering; the Armonica Tributo involving two choirs, of string and wind instruments. This was followed by a Telemann Concerto for three oboes and three violins, fashioned in the Italian style. The parts for each of the players are fairly equally matched in continuous movement, designed to show off the virtuoso qualities of the artist. The piece climaxes with a lively gigue, with the typical touch of the folk element favoured by Telemann, which brought the concert to a triumphant close.

S Jenkins