Royal Consorts - Peninsula Summer Music Festival
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Tue 05 Jan 2016
The
viola da gamba is an ungainly beast: bigger than a cello and outnumbering its 4 strings by 3, it's a beautiful instrument in the right hands.
Laura Vaughan of
Latitude 37 is one such pair of hands. At the performance of
Royal Consorts (Music of English Kings) at Shoreham's St Peter's Church on a warm summer's afternoon, she earned the admiration of the audience not just for the quality of her playing and the warmth of her personality, but also for doing it all while heavily pregnant.
The programme of 17th century English composers ranged from the courtly contributions of composers like
John Jenkins to the rollicking tavern music of
Davis Mell and his ilk. In many cases the viola da gamba got a good work out, much to the delight of both Vaughan and her audience, even providing her with a solo by
Tobias Hume that was beautifully executed.
Guest performer
Simon Martyn-Ellis added a richness and depth as well as a visually delightful tableau with his theorbo, a bass lute with a neck that goes on forever.
Donald Nicolson provided as many arpeggios as he threatened his audience with in his introduction and a quietly competent presence at the harpsichord, while bandleader
Julia Fredersdorff kept time and a low profile, allowing the musical focus to stay on Vaughan and her beautiful instrument.
The setting for Music for English Kings was in a beachside church with windows through to a magnificent view of rolling fields leading to the ocean. The informality of the backdrop was mirrored in the relaxed banter and obvious ease of communication between the performers, providing a pleasant summer afternoon's entertainment for all.
#classical_music
#concerts
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#mornington_peninsula
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#shoreham
#january
!date 05/01/2016 -- 05/01/2016
%wnmelbourne
189809 - 2023-06-16 03:21:29