London Pro Musica

Press, 15 September 1986, Page 6

London Pro Musica

London Pro Musica at the Great Hall, Arts Centre, Saturday, September 13, at 8 p.m. Reviewed by Roger Flury.

In a programme called “The Age of Discovery,” the London Pro Musica presented secular fifteenth century music from England, France, Spain, and Italy.

Initial fears that there would be insufficient variety to sustain interest over a whole evening were soon dispelled. The subject matter ranged from songs of passion, bitterness, humour, and unrequited love to dances such as the pavana and passamezzo.

The London Pro Musica has an air of seasoned professionalism and the informality and obvious enthusiasm, for this music drew a willing audience into the delicate sound world.

The counter-tenor voice of Kevin Smith proved a powerful advocate for the songs. He produced a consistent stream of warm,,. r r

even-toned sound, reaching surprising fortes at the top of the range, and slipping into inaudibility only in the lowest reaches. It was a relief to know that we were not to be subjected to the spineless hooting that often passes as the countertenor voice. There were many memorable moments in his performance, most notably the pathetic list of lost relations in “Je suis d’Alemagne,” the agility in Tromboncino’s “Poi che’l ciel e la terra,” and the haunting melancholy of Cariteo’s “Amando e desiando.” The programme, which was skilfully grouped in contrasting or complementary pairs, also provided the opportunity for the instrumentalists to shine. Bernard Thomas (recorder and flute), Erin Headley (viol), and Tom Finucane (lute) accompanied the singer sympathetically, and also contributed some fine solo playing. This was exemplified in Robert Morton’s

“Le souvenir” where voice, flute, lute and viol wove a magical web of sound. In the anonymous instrumental version we were treated to lute and viol playing of engaging spontaneity. The “Passamezzo moderno” by Diego Ortiz produced some showy, well played divisions for viol and recorder over a lute ground bass.

Tom Finucane’s lute solos often provided the most substantial and musically satisfying moments of the recital. The delicate sounds of Luis Millan’s “Fantasia” were sadly destroyed by external traffic noise and internal coughing, but a superb performance of Capirola’s “Paduana Francese” escaped such sabotage. I hope that the London Pro Musica can be persuaded to return again, in spite of the only moder-ate-sized audience, and spartan conditions which would barely have been acceptable even in the fifteenth century. \