Saturday 12th October 2024

The Time Traveller’s Pilgrimage
(2 Voices & Lute/Baroque Guitar)

Deborah Catterall (Mezzo), Gareth Glyn Roberts (Tenor) and Richard MacKenzie (Lute/Baroque Guitar) bring us beautiful lute songs and solos from the Medieval and Renaissance periods.

The journey begins in around 850 AD with Kassiani (a Byzantine Abbess composer)  and then hops onwards through the Medieval and Renaissance periods to Josquin des Pres, Dowland and others.

The group, as individual performers have sung and played nationally and internationally and have appeared with ensembles such as Oxford Baroque, Ex Cathedra, The York Waits, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and many more. Richard joined in 2024 following on from lutenist, Hugh Cherry.

Here is a PDF of the Poster for this Concert (click to VIEW or right click to SAVE). Please feel free to print and display the poster to help publicise this concert.

Programme (announced 27th September)

Hymn of Kassiani – Kassiani (c.810 – before 865)
Ave Maria plainchant
Ave Maris Stella – John Dunstaple (c.1390-1453)

Ecco la primavera – Francesco Landini (c.1330 – 1397)
Questa fanciulla  – Francesco Landini

Flos florum – Guillaume Du Fay (1397-1474)
Scaramella – Josquin des Pres (c.1450-1521)
Mille regretz – Josquin des Pres
In te domine speravi – Josquin des Pres

INTERVAL

What if I never speed – John Dowland (1563 – 1626)

Can she excuse my wrongs – John Dowland
His golden locks are now to silver turn’d – John Dowland
In darkness let me dwell – John Dowland

Who made thee, Hob, forsake the plough? – William Byrd (c.1540- 1623)
Dialogue upon a kiss – Henry Lawes (1596-1662)

Gia risi – Giovanne Kapsberger (c.1580-1651)
Quel sguardo sdegnosetto – Claudio Monteverdi (1567 – 1643)
O primavera – Luzzasco Luzzaschi (c.1545-1607)
Vorrei baciarti – Claudio Monteverdi

Brief Report “on the night”

A very different concert to our usual ones, being chiefly composed of short vocal pieces, but nevertheless thoroughly enjoyable. There were 3 changes to the published programme on the night:

  • 2 Lute solos were added after “Scaramella”.
  • 2 Guitar solos were added after “Dialogue upon a Kiss”.
  • “O primavera” was omitted because Deborah’s voice was still recovering after a cold and she felt unable to manage some of it.

The concert was opened by Deborah, accompanying herself with a drone (which she explained and demonstrated first), singing  part of “Hymn of Kassiani” (composed by a Byzantine/Greek nun). Like all the pieces the background and a partial translation of the words was explained beforehand.

All the other songs were accompanied, mainly by a beautiful Lute (but occasionally by a Baroque Guitar which had been made by a member of the audience!). Most were duets, although both singers had occasional solos. Throughout, the artists entertained us with asides and helpful comments as well as singing/playing beautifully.

The concert finished with an encore “Alla Luce” (To the Light) by Kapsberger.

Press Report

“The Time Traveller’s Pilgrimage” turned out to be quite a joyous evening, largely due to the introductions and enthusiasm of the three musicians, Deborah Catterall (mezzo), Gareth Glyn Roberts (tenor) and Richard MacKenzie (lute and baroque guitar). The audience was held spell-bound by the changes of style and increasing complexity of the music.

Deborah began with part of the “Hymn of Kassiani” and her own drone accompaniment. Kassiani was a ninth century Abbess and the first acknowledged female composer. She followed this with an unaccompanied Ave Maria plainchant also by Kassiani.

Then it was time for the Gareth to join in, accompanied by Richard on a seven-string lute, with John Dunstaple’s Ave Maria Stella. The concert continued with music from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries by Francesco Landini, Guillaume Du Fay and Josquin des Pres, plus a couple of solos by Richard.

After the interval we progressed to the seventeenth century, the balance being tipped more towards secular songs. There were four by John Dowland, generally sombre in mood, but beautifully constructed. Those by William Byrd and Henry Lawes were much lighter in tone. There were two more solos by Richard, this time on the five-string baroque guitar. Songs by European contemporaries Giovanne Kapsberger and Claudio Monteverdi concluded the concert, with “Alla Luce” as an encore by the former. 

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