Friday, 22 May 2015

Musicke in the Ayre Baroque Beginnings 22/23 May 2015

Baroque Beginnings: from Peri to Purcell 


This is Classical Break on Somer Valley FM, and I'm Rupert Kirkham.  Today's programme show-cases the early music group, Musicke In The Ayre, with extracts of a concert-performance at St Lawrence's Church in the village of Stanton Prior (a lovely setting, in itself). The concert, Baroque Beginnings: from Peri to Purcell, took
place on the 1st May 2015, at 7.30 pm, and featured Jane Hunt soprano, and Maria Danishvar Brown, soprano, accompanied by the lute and archlute of Din Ghani.

We thank Din for providing us with the recordings of both music and spoken links.

In Din's words, the concert consisted of 17th century songs and duets tracing the progress of the “New Musicke” from Italy to England, via France and Spain.

Any revivification of music in the minds of those who are not scholars depends on the advocacy of committed, skilled and feeling musicians; musicians with not only a grasp of the idioms of long ago, but also a talent for reminding us of the significance of music that doesn't die, but that like old soldiers, fades away. Early music does not die; it only fades away – and returns repeatedly and deservedly as
fashions change and tastes come and go. There is no “authentic” performance beyond cavil, but rhythm, melody and harmony sculpted in the mind of a composer, pricked out on the page centuries ago, and given performance
from the heart and brain of contemporary musicians who understand its essence
and who avoid unlikely and unlooked-for contemporary embellishment or sentimentalism, will live for us. Its essence belongs to us for enjoyment, as to the century in which it was written.


Nel pur ardor Jacopo Peri (1561 – 1633) 

Amarilli, mia bella Giulio Caccini (1551 – 1618) 

Se di farmi morire Domenico Maria Melli (c1580 – c1620) 

Alla luce Johannes Kapsberger (1583 – 1643)

Chiaconna Alessandro Piccinini (1566 – 1638) 

Zefiro Torna  Claudio Monteverdi (1567 – 1643) 

Che si puo fare Barbara Strozzi (1619 – 1677) 

Se l’aura spira Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583 – c1643) 

Begli occhi Girolamo Frescobaldi 

Esperar, sentir, morir Juan Hidalgo (1614 – 1685) 

El baxel esta en la playa Anon (1609) 

Canten dos jilguerillos Francisco Escalada (fl. 1677)  

Goutons un doux repos Michel Lambert (1610 – 1698) 

Ma bergere Michel Lambert 

Dialogue de la Paix et la Felicite Michel Lambert

Dido’s lament Henry Purcell (1659—1695) 

If music be the food of love Henry Purcell 

We the spirits of the air Henry Purcell 


This was Classical Break on Somer Valley FM. We thank the early music group, Musicke In The Ayre and Din Ghani for providing us with all the materials for our
programme, Baroque Beginnings: From Peri To Purcell. We wish them well in
all their endeavours for music that remains as compellingly and humanely expressive, beautiful and affecting as when it was written. Music that we need
in our everyday lives. 

We hope you will join us again soon. Goodbye!


Musicke in the Ayre: Jane Hunt soprano 
                         Maria Danishvar Brown soprano 
                            Din Ghani lute, archlute 

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