I really enjoy early (mediaeval) music and its instruments so was very happy to attend this performance. Sadly, the date clashed with the Fleet Review and the time with the fireworks! This meant that the audience was not as numerous as it would otherwise undoubtedly have been. Despite this, the program was well thought out, calling on the bawdiness and directness, which is a feature of this period and style of music.

The program choices ranged across Europe including English, Spanish, Italian and German. I did have trouble following the program, which was awkwardly set out, so I do hope I have attached my comments to the right piece! I would also have liked to know the instruments being played in each set, as my knowledge of mediaeval instruments is not what it used to be.

The ‘narrator’ of the evening, Geoff Sirmai, was superb, interspersing the musical episodes with excellent readings of funny verse and story.

One of the features of music of this period is the versatility that is allowed to musicians i.e. they are allowed to and expected to be proficient in many musical instruments as well as singing etc. I was particularly impressed with Winsome Evan’s skills, which demonstrated her life-time commitment to bringing this music to us all.

The concert opened with some beautiful singing from Jessica O’Donoghue as the group progressed into the Great Hall. The setting would have justified a banqueting table with jongleurs for our edification!

The first series of pieces used exciting rhythms and beautiful singing and virtuoso playing of the alto shawm. There was also the hint of the Moslem Call to Prayer in some of the sounds, which reminds us that this period of music was heavily influenced by the music that Europeans heard on the crusades. The foot-stamping rhythms and mediaeval line-dancing (with audience participation) in The Monks Soft-Shoe Shuffle were also a lot of fun! It made one wonder when whities lost their ‘dance gene’! A recurring theme in the poetry, stories and songs was the hypocrisy and bad behaviour of the clergy! Sounds very modern! The final item before the interval had a beautiful opening on the Dies Irae theme with nice use of castanets and bells.

The second half opened with music that reminded me of the dancing of the Hare Krishnas with its quasi-pentatonic sound, but with over-the-top ornamentation adding interest. One of the highlights of the second half was a great poem about snoring which was definitely LOL! We were also treated to a lovely duet on the gemshorn, a new instrument to me. It looked incredibly difficult to play, especially to play well, so I must commend Winsome and Jenny Duck-Chong on their superb playing. The evening closed with two great Saltarello dance pieces which left us all on a high.

I would like to recommend a better program layout which told us a bit about the instruments as not everyone in the audience will be familiar with mediaeval instruments. It would also have been great to have some refreshments, even water, available at interval.