Vinehall School Theatre, Robertsbridge, 24 May 2014
Linda Grace had drawn together a strong team who gave us a wide range of baroque music, much of it unfamiliar but none the less welcome.
She opened with Un certo non so che from Vivaldi’s L’Atenaide and closed with Juditha’s Agitata infido flatu from Juditha Triumphans. Though Vivaldi’s operas are slightly more familiar to us thanks to Garsington Opera’s revivals, it was good to hear from works that have yet to receive a fully staged modern performance.
Baroque oratorio frequently has the same emotional impact as its operatic counter-part and we sensed this in Lin Wescott’s singing of Zerfliesse, mein Herze from Bach’s St John Passion and a fiery Why do the nations? from Richard Woodall.
Tenor, Robin Green brought us Purcell’s I loved fair Celia and a stirring Fairest Isle as we moved into the English baroque. Alongside these vocal items, Tim Willsone played Marcello’s oboe concerto in D minor and a mellifluous flute accompaniment in Vivaldi’s Sol da te, mio dolce amore.
Works attributed to the baroque often prove to be nothing of the kind, and Cindy Gilham slipped in a delightful Se tu m’ami which actually dates from the late 19th century.
Perhaps the most stylish performance of the evening came from Hiroshi Kanazawa who gave us a secure and very moving account of Cara Sposa from Handel’s Rinaldo. The simplicity of approach and sensitivity to the musical line was very impressive.
Throughout, accompaniment had been provided by Duncan Reid and Nigel Howard. A Roland digital harpsichord was used occasionally but most items were accompanied on the school’s Bosendorfer. It is a very fine instrument, but it is hardly baroque!