Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 1 pm in Saint Mary Magdalene Church, Berkeley

Hallifax & Jeffrey with Andrew Canepa play Fantasy-suites by Lawes and Divisions on Grounds by Simpson

Barefoot’s contribution to the Berkeley Festival Fringe features the Barefoot Chamber Concerts House Band, the eponymous Hallifax & Jeffrey (Peter Hallifax and Julie Jeffrey, viols), with fabulous guest star Andrew Canepa, organist to the stars, playing rarely heard music for viols and organ by two legendary 17th century English composer/viol players: William Lawes and Christopher Simpson.

The Lawes suites (Fantasy – Sarabande – Galliard) are exquisite pieces carefully composed for treble and bass viols and an organ obligato. Lawes’ unique harmonic sense and love of curious textures is on full display, along with his trademark humour.

The Simpson “Divisions for the practice of Learners” are examples of what expert viol players (such as Simpson himself) were famous for: extemporizing over a ground bass. This skill was the core of so many viol players’ reputations in the 17th century, and although the ability is lost to us today, eight examples of the style are found at the back of Simpson’s treatise “The Division Viol”. This book was one of the best-selling musical publications of the time, and was reprinted twice to respond to public demand after the first edition sold out.

Although Simpson gives us these pieces as simple examples of music that is intended to be extemporized, they are in fact miniature gems of formal elegance, and make a perfect foil to Lawes’ wildly experimental compositional style.

In Saint Mary Magdalen Church, 2005 Berryman Street, Berkeley, at 1 pm on Tuesday June 9, suggested donation $20 (no-one turned away for lack of funds). The program will be approximately 45 minutes long.