★★★★☆
Henry Purcell’s odes were written for the later Stuart monarchs and they are musical jewels. Their poetry is often sycophantic but Purcell’s music lifts them to greatness, making them feasts of colour and variety.
Their celebratory mood worked well for this concert, which marked the 25th anniversary of the Dunedin Consort, Scotland’s crack team of baroque musicians. The chorus consisted of eight singers and the orchestra was a similar size but they played with dazzling vigour — as we have come to expect of them.
John Butt masterminded proceedings from the harpsichord, directing with a sparkle. The string sound was lithe and energetic and Paul Sharp’s gleaming trumpet cut through the texture like a ray of light. The singers were a chorus of impeccable blend and the soloists were characterful, none more so than the rich counter tenor of James Hall.
There was one problem, a big one in every sense: I can scarcely think of a worse venue for a concert such as this than Kelvingrove Museum. The acoustic meant that the benefits of clarity you gain from an ensemble of this size were lost in aural gloop. Poor Edward Grint, whose bravura bass aria was the highlight of Why, Why Are All The Muses Mute? had his lowest notes rendered inaudible, and Julia Doyle’s soprano solo in Music for a While sounded as though it was drifting in from another building.
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Granted, the grandeur of Arise, My Muse was bequeathed a halo of sound that gave it extra majesty but the next time I hear these musicians I hope it is in a more intimate place.
