Eden Baroque 8 th February 2024 In Music for a While - the Society enjoyed a very special concert by Eden Baroque : Katharine May (Harpsichord) and Michael Sanderson (Voice, Viola & Violin), performing music and songs from the Tudor period through to the late Baroque in a quintessentially English concert. John Dowland’s Awake Sweet Love thou art return’d set the standard for the evening, Michael’s wonderful baritone effortlessly filled the Assembly Room of Grimsby Town Hall, fully benefiting from its fine acoustics. Michael showed great insight into his songs and sang with clarity and natural pleasure. Perhaps defying expectations for a quill-plucked instrument, Katharine’s harpsichord sounded sweetly through the hall. Theirs was a beautifully understated performance, presenting seldom heard English music in a delightful and informative way – prefacing pieces with humorous historical anecdotes. After another Dowland song came two songs from Nicholas Lanier, the Master of the King’s Music, these included Fire Fire – an expression of unquenchable passion, sung with gusto. The first instrumental solo of the concert was three movements from George Frideric Handel, Suite no 5 in E major . Katharine’s delicate touch was reflected by the refined sound of her instrument. The Prelude was pleasantly soothing, the Allemande stately and graceful and the Courante lively and intense. Then came two songs from Henry Purcell, the first being Music for a While – expressively sung by Michael. Then, I attempt from Love’s sickness to fly - a lively song of helplessness – expressively and rhythmically sung. After four short songs by Christopher Pepusch, the first half finished with a violin solo, accompanied by harpsichord, as Michael played Division on a Ground (John come kiss me now) by Thomas Balshar. The gut strings of the violin had an engaging throaty tone; the piece well phrased with effective contrasts, the music was paradoxically fresh whilst seemingly nostalgic. After the interval, a delightful Sonata no 11 in G minor by Henry Eccles, played by Michael on Viola; full of contrasts with a final Presto reminiscent of Vivaldi. Three songs recalled the Georgian London Pleasure Gardens: James Hook, The Lass of Richmond Hill – a lively and cheeky song; the wonderfully sung Where ‘ere you walk, Handel; finally Thomas Arne’s witty arrangement for When Daisies Pied – Katharine adding to the humour using a cuckoo call whistle. Katharine provided another wonderful harpsichord solo, performing Air with five variations , later dubbed The Harmonious Blacksmit h, from Handel’s Suite no 5 in E major . Rhythmically played and well ornamented, and using the available harpsichord dispositions to the full she presented a variety of contrasting moods and dynamics. Michael sang two contrasting pieces from Joseph Haydn, which included the very patriotic Sailors Song . With these songs, the harpsichord part was particularly interesting being in many respects an equal and sophisticated, at times almost exotic, voice. To the delight of the audience, Michael returned to his violin to close the concert with a foot tapping and nostalgic Dance Medley , from a John Playford collection (c.1651); the final piece being the familiar Lilliburlero. IM