Photo © William Eduardo
WHAT IS OUR LIFE?
English Madrigals for Voice and Viols
400 years of the death of Orlando Gibbons
1625 – 2025
Newly formed ensemble Cantus Quintus, comprised of a viol consort and solo voice, presents a gorgeous selection of English madrigals, centred around the works of Orlando Gibbons, with works by Jenkins, Campion, Wilbye and Byrd.
Gibbons’ most famous piece, The Silver Swan, is quite well-known, but his other compositions are equally deserving of attention. They run the full gamut of human emotion, from the breath-takingly grief-stricken, through the usual flowering buds and inevitable heartaches, to toe-tapping dance tunes.
Although madrigals are pieces of music written for small groups of singers, Cantus Quintus reimagines them with just one or two singers, accompanied by the instrument par excellence of the 17th century – the viol. Sharing common ancestors with the lute and guitar, its sound is subtle and sweet, and carries a plaintive quality that, especially in consort settings like this, is deeply moving.
Sofia Pedro – soprano; Matthew Farrell – countertenor, viol
Xander Baker, Adriana Mendez, Julie Stalder – viols
Sofia Pedro 