Wellington group praised in London

Press, 15 August 1984, Page 34

Wellington group praised in London

NZPA staff correspondent 1 London < The versatile Wellington I group of early music ; specialists, Ensemble Dufay, won critical acclaim in Lon- 1 don after their performance < at New Zealand House. 1 The “Guardian” described I it as a “fascinating recital 1 of rarely heard French Re- I naissance compositions and ' transcriptions.” The newspaper’s critic, i Mention Bowen, said the ’ programme “exemplified I the attempts by French ] composers of the period to i produce an equivalent to the ( artistic endeavours of the i

Italian Academicians (who derived their notions in turn from current theorising about Greek music). David Murray, art critic for the “Financial Times,” commented, “Each performer has mastered more than one role and the leader, Robert Oliver, sings tenor while playing bass viol with perfect aplomb.” He said the group’s singing was “admirably clear” which helped to bring out the individual composers represented more thaan the ensemble’s “suave delivery (true of pitch, always well shaped).”