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Church of Our Lord
July 16, 2006
Martin Bonham has been an important part of the Victoria music scene for many years. The Festival Consort, in its present manifestation, is only one of a number of important ventures for which he has been responsible. In some ways, it is the most interesting. The Consort is the first period instrument baroque ensemble composed entirely of local musicians. (Or it nearly is. Bonham, Zwicky and Sutherland all play instruments with baroque specifications. Wallbank's violin has gut strings and is played with a baroque bow, but it has not been restored to its original state. Occasionally the modernity of Wallbank's violin was readily apparent.)
The Festival Consort, in one form or another, has been performing since 1999, but this was a debut of sorts. The four musicians who appeared together this afternoon have been meeting weekly for some years, developing repertoire and working on a collective style. They have performed a couple of times up Island, but this was their first appearance in the Big Smoke.
The concert stretched chronologically from Captain Tobias Hume's manifesto in favour of the viola da gamba (c. 1605) to Carl Friedrich Abel's last contributions to the viol repertoire (in the 1780s). In between, we heard an attractive sampling of English chamber music from the intervening years.
As a cellist, Bonham has been active as a chamber musician and a member of Victoria Symphony for many years. Some years ago he took up the viola da gamba. This is not an easy transition: the viola da gamba, despite certain superficial similarities to a cello, is a completely different instrument. It would be no easier for a cellist to learn the viol than it would be to learn the guitar. Nevertheless, Bonham now plays the viol with confidence and expression.
In the course of the afternoon, Bonham played several pieces for solo viola da gamba, including "The Spirit of Gambo" from Captain Hume's Musicall Humours, Richard Sumarte's arrangement of "Whoope do me no Harme", Daniel Norcombe's Divisions on Tregian's Ground, and a Prelude by William Young - plus the Abel pieces.
These pieces represent a wide range of styles and musical forms. Hume's work is a whimsical composition that likely mirrors the eccentricities of the gruff mercenary soldier. Norcombe's Divisions are a set of virtuoso variations that enabled Bonham to show off his chops. The Prelude by William Young is in the French style - think of Sainte-Colombe. Abel's Adagio and Minuet are polished works from the same sound world as J.C. Bach (Abel's close friend) and Mozart. In each case Bonham was sensitive to the demands of the music and played in an appropriate style.
So far I have made the concert sound like a one man show but much of the programme featured the violinists as much as the viol. In the first half of the concert we heard a fascinating Fantazia by Giovanni Coperario (the composer known as John Cooper prior to his visit to Italy) for two trebles and a bass. The performance made me want to hear more by this fine but still rather neglected composer. The second half ended with a Suite for two violins and b.c. by Christopher Simpson. This is not music for display. It is sober, serious music that needs the violinists to take a sober, serious approach. Wallbank and Zwicky rose to the occasion, ably supported by Sutherland and Bonham. Throughout the concert Sutherland did a good job in the rhythm section.
The first half of the concert allowed each of the violinists to take a solo turn. First Wallbank essayed a Suite by William Lawes for violin, viol and keyboard. Zwicky subsequently offered a Sonata for the same forces by William Young. Both works were given thoroughly-rehearsed, thoughtful and sensitive readings.
The second half of the concert began with the highlight of the concert, Purcell's Sonata No. 5 in g. This work is a masterpiece of chamber music, in stature comparable to the great chamber works of Haydn, Mozart or Beethoven. In particular, the "Chacony" (Chaconne) with which the work concludes is a gem. Here the viol is definitely in the background, playing a repeated ground bass. Over this the violins weave their magic and Wallbank and Zwicky gave an authoritative account of the piece.
The concert concluded with a charming Sonata by William Boyce. While not rising to the Purcell's level of profundity, Boyce is an underestimated composer. Again the violinists gave a good account of themselves. I felt that they were a little more at home with the styles of Purcell and Boyce than they were with some of the earlier composers.
The viol has a beautiful sound and a large and sophisticated repertoire. In Victoria we have only limited opportunities to experience this instrument and its music. Opportunities to hear a fully-fledged baroque ensemble are also, despite the best efforts of the Early Music Society of the Islands, still rather rare. I hope that, in the future, increasingly large numbers take advantage of the chance to explore some of this music with the Festival Consort.
The Consort has two more performances scheduled for this summer. On Friday August 4th they will perform a French programme at the Christ Church Cathedral's New Jerusalem Chapel. On Sunday August 20th, the Consort is back at the Church of Our Lord for a concert of German music. Both of the up-coming concerts feature the wonderful Japanese viol player, Kazue Kazahaya Seki. She will make an ensemble already worth hearing that much better.
MiV
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