VERY REGRETFULLY, WE HAVE HAD TO POSTPONE THIS DELICIOUS CONCERT DUE TO COVID. WE ARE WORKING ON A NEW DATE AND WILL LET YOU KNOW AS SOON AS WE CAN WHEN WE’LL PLAY IT!
THE BAREFOOT ALL-STARS: Peter Hallifax, Julie Jeffrey, David Morris, Farley Pearce, and Lynn Tetenbaum; viols,
with special guests Wendy Gillespie; treble viol and Andrew Canepa; organ
The Consort Music Wars: Jenkins v. Lawes
William Lawes and John Jenkins both had the unusual experience of working for the court of Charles I, a man with great wealth and power who loved the viol and its music. However, Lawes died at the age of 42 at the Battle of Chester during the Civil War, whereas Jenkins lived on even after the king was executed, survived that ill-fated experiment in a sort of democracy (the “Commonwealth”) as a resident musician in the house of a wealthy Catholic, and was then pointlessly employed by the court again after the restoration of the monarchy, by a king who had no interest in viol music.
Colleagues they were, for a decade or more, but with radically different styles. Lawes was forever experimenting, and Jenkins was content to perfect what he did. Both were virtuosic viol players and hugely popular composers whose music challenged the players in different ways.
“Jenkins or Lawes?” has become somewhat of a thing, as in “Beatles or Stones?”, “Blue Collar or Dog Collar?”, “Mescal or Scotch?”, Taylor Swift or Beyoncé?”. So we are presenting an entire concert with just these two apex composers: you can choose, or choose to stay on the fence, as you like.
This concert is the seventh of what has become an annual series of mid-winter viol consort concerts, and we recommend reserving seats, as this concert has been extremely popular in the past. We are especially delighted to be able to add organist Andrew Canepa to this concert: adding a continuo organ to viol consort music had become a standard, though not obligatory, practice for viol consort music in this period, and we are very fortunate this year to be able to add the sound, as one contemporary wrote, [of] the Organ, Evenly, Softly, and Sweetly According to all”.
6.30 pm, Friday, January 5, 2023 in the Parish Hall of Saint Mary Magdalen Parish Church, 2005 Berryman St, Berkeley, Admission $25 (no one turned away for lack of funds).
You can reserve a seat in advance by email to info@barefootchamberconcerts.com, and pay at the door when you come (recommended).