Like a tiny piece of high art hidden away in the saucy seaside postcard that is the Brighton Festival Fringe, the trio A Garden Of Eloquence (lute, viol and voice) performed almost in its entirety a book of songs by John Danyel, published in 1606 and dedicated to the daughter of the family to which he was engaged as musical tutor.
This dedication and the theme of the songbook (the courting of Daphne by Apollo) gave some sense of the intimacy of the songs, an intimacy that was enhanced by the warmth and focus of the church’s soft resonance and by a presentation beginning with a reading of the composer’s own introductory words and interrupted only by a lute solo at the halfway point.
The songs were miniatures of expressive simplicity, played with obvious affection, poise and a sound feel for the style, though not without occasional uncertainty of tone. While the trio clearly carry the torch for Danyel, I was not entirely convinced. In comparison with the great lute songs of John Dowland, these songs seemed at times mere exercises, lacking his sureness of line and only coming fleetingly close to his emotional power. Nevertheless a delightful hour’s music.
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