Luz y Norte offers authentic baroque dance-music from Spain, Italy and South America and Africa. Some pieces will nevertheless evoke images of flamenco and maybe even salsa. The energy, the passion and the undisguised joie de vivre explode from the CD (helped by the muscular percussion and guitar contributions). The result is a sound that is vividly ebullient. Naturally, Lawrence-King and his ensemble have sought a balance between these hit numbers and more introspective pieces. the contrast ensures a varied and charming programme.
Four singers, five pluckers (lute, guitar, theorbo, cittern and bandora) and two bass viols directed by Andrew Lawrence-King playing harps, harpsichord or organ. The pieces are grouped in suites, by key. There is a solo song in each group, without exception beautifully sung, but none more so than 'Music for a while' performed by the high tenor Rodrigo del Pozo. This is a record full of surprises which will delight you. The famous Ground in A sounds fabulous, beautifully played on solo harp, as does the Rondo from Abdelazar. The whole band launches into 'Liliburlero', sounding just like the Chieftains. A lyra viol plays a Scotch Tune, preceded by the original hauntingly sung by Ellen Hargis, and the four singers combine to conclude the disc with a moving performance of 'Thou knowest Lord': it is a wonderful record, highly recommended.
Songs and instrumental pieces by Lawes and his contemporaries, including two movements of 'Harp Consorts' and a complete Fantasy Suite for violin, bass viol and organ. Ellen Hargis is superb in the two Purcell songs, Nancy Hadden's limpid renaissance flute is an effective treble in the 'Pavan to the Harp Consort', and David Douglass' renaissance violin playing is such an appropriate sound for the Lawes. The plucked sounds (five lute, cittern, orpharion, theorbists plus Andrew Lawrence-King on any of four harps or keyboards) provide imaginative rhythmic drive, with a 17th century barn dance (complete with caller) to finish. Superb.
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Andrew Lawrence-King and his ensemble have enormously developed the tonal-spectrum of the chordal continuo instruments, with three triple harps (Italian, English and French), theorbo, archlute, guitar, in addition to harpsichord and organ. Recorders, oboes and bassoon add sparkling lustre to the transparency of the string section. This entire 'exotic' instrumentarium is available for the orchestrated version of J S Bach's 'Italian Concerto'. This re-construction for harpsichord, oboe, bassoon and orchestra (with organ and lutes for continuo) put even the original in the shade, with its perfect combination of tone colours and distribution of polyphonic lines and counter-melodies. All in all: a winning arrangement.