Review published in Somerset County Gazette Dec 16th2005

In Dulci Jubilo

Taunton Camerata's concert of Renaissance music at North Curry church last Saturday (11th Dec) was a sell-out performance, and easily the most enjoyable that I have been to. But although the singing was superb, the real stars of the show were the sixteenth- and early-seventeenth-century instruments brought along by musicians from Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London.

The evening opened when the pre-concert hubbub of the audience was silenced dramatically by a brassy fanfare from the back of the church on sliding trumpets and sackbuts (the predecessor of the trombone) by Keith McGowan and the band to the well-known Christmas tune In dulci jubilo in a seventeenth-century arrangement by Magnus Thomsen.

The next two pieces were from Camerata, conducted by Paul Ellis with music transcribed by Geoffrey Bass from Jacob Handl. They continued the Advent and Christmas themes with Resonet in laudibus (Let the voice of praise resound) and Natus est nobis (Unto us is born a Son).

Keith McGowan then gave the audience the first of three fascinating and amusing explanations of the Renaissance instruments that he and the band were playing, which were those of a German church band of 1610. Back then their duties would have included, amongst others, "serenading young ladies as a prelude to courtship" for a small fee. We were introduced to dulcians (an early form of bassoon), sackbuts, cornetts (of the wooden variety) and shawms (a development of a middle-eastern reed instrument).

Other highlights of the first half included an instrumental sonata by the famous Anon, featuring lots of low instruments doing very fruity things, Bonny Sweet Robin by Thomas Simpson, a light, airy and delicate arrangement on wooden flutes and court organ, and a beautiful rendition by Camerata of Sweelinck's Hodie Christus natus est (Christ is born unto us today). We finished up, prior to the interval drink, with a rousing performance of the traditional Gaudete, including full audience participation.

Uniquely, perhaps, it was the interval that was the concert's most memorable part. Wassailing was accompanied by Keith and the lads playing an assortment of tunes on three sets of Flemish Great Bagpipes, which, when carried, rose to ten feet in the air, accompanied by a thumping rhythm on a tabor (side drum), as they marched up and down the aisles. It drew the biggest ovation of the evening.

The main performance continued with some beautiful pieces, notably another arrangement of In dulci jubilo by the unfortunately named Samuel Scheidt, which brought us waves of sound from the choir and much gorgeousness from crumhorns and cornetts. Handl's Rorate coeli desuper was an a cappella piece from Camerata, slow and flowing, with high harmonics and a strong hint of the pastoral. Michael Praetorius's Vom Himmel hoch started with deep, resonant notes from the band and introduced richly textured harmonies from the choir. The Ballet des trois aages (sic) by Praetorius involved almost all the instruments on offer, including the bagpipes, getting louder and louder, and that thumping tabor once more.

The finale (a last arrangement of In dulci jubilo) introduced my favourite instrument, the racket, which looked like a squat wooden firework and made a sound like blowing a raspberry.

All in all, a wonderful way to warm up for Christmas. Camerata's next concert is on 7th May at St Mary's Church, Taunton, and features favourites from Handel and Bach.

Mike Lord