ON THE SCENE
Burns Baby Burns CHANNEL THE SPIRIT OF THE HIGHLANDS WITH A SPECIAL BURNS NIGHT PERFORMANCE FROM ENSEMBLE HESPERI. MIRIAM BALANESCU SPEAKS TO RECORDER PLAYER MARY-JANNET LEITH BEFORE THE SHOW BEGINS SLÀINTE MHATH
than anything by the winds of fortune,” insists Mary-Jannet. “So, while we love performing music by baroque ‘greats’ such as Handel and Telemann, we also strongly believe in restoring the fortunes of composers who were often incredibly successful in their own time, but today are undeservedly forgotten.” While the perception of baroque music has long been that it is stale and old-fashioned, the ensemble believe that its true spirit is spontaneity. “Now, we are taught at conservatoire how to be flexible and improvise. Really, baroque composers are just writing the bare bones of what they want. The continuo player is expected to harmonise and do all sorts of things according to their own fancy, then the solo lines are expected to ornament in different styles. You have fantastic contrast and lots of options to explore, both when preparing music and rehearsing. The spirit for us is very much one of freedom.” For Ensemble Hesperi, whose recent project used original research to explore the musical life of Queen Charlotte, it’s about striking a fine balance between history and modernity. “True authenticity is impossible,” points out Mary-Jannet. “Once you’ve done a lot of research, it’s about bringing that to life and making it accessible, interesting and fun.” Having built much
25 Jan
music was extremely popular in London at the same time that Robert Burns was thriving in Scotland,” asserts Mary-Jannet. “There was lots of cultural exchange between Edinburgh and London.” Stemming from Scotland’s oral and folk music roots, this cross-cultural mixing stretched even further. “At the same time, all of these interesting styles were coming from Italy, France and
arking the anniversary of the bard’s birth in 1759, Burns Night was first
kindled by close friends of Robert Burns in 1801 to honour his memory. Today, the Scottish tradition has travelled around the country with bagpipes aplenty and whisky a-flowing, plus obligatory readings of Burns’ poems. For the award-winning Ensemble Hesperi, whose first album Full of the Highland Humours takes its name from the first printed collection of Scots tunes, Burns Night finds the group right in their element – bringing their Scottish melodies to Cambridge. “It’s a programme that celebrates the popularity of Scottish music outside Scotland in the 18th century, particularly in London,” says the group’s Aberdeen- born recorder player Mary-Jannet Leith. The musicians met at the Royal College of Music, finding a shared interest in Gaelic ditties – which, for former history student Mary-Jannet, has turned into a PhD thesis. They have since crowded the airwaves of BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM. Among the Scottish composers who journeyed to London are James Oswald and Robert Bremner, whose music is the group’s source of inspiration. “Scottish
Germany, flooding into London and making their way to Edinburgh,” explains Mary-Jannet, citing William McGibbon, who composed both Scots tunes and sonatas with Scottish features – such as the pentatonic scale, as one example. “That was his musical
It’s a programme that celebrates Scottish music
of their career during the pandemic, with Mary-Jannet and partner harpsichordist Thomas Allery livestreaming concerts throughout lockdowns, the group are geared up and ready to reach new audiences – priding themselves on
performing in schools, communities and care homes to listeners who may otherwise not be exposed to early music. With their name growing on the classical circuit, it’s certain that their ears will be burning – in the best way. Ensemble Hesperi will be performing at St Catharine’s College Chapel on 25 January at 6pm
heritage. But, as a result, you have music written in an Italian 18th-century style, but with this distinctive Scottishness about it.” Ensemble Hesperi have a passion for bringing underheard early music to new audiences. “When you start to delve into music history, you quickly realise that the modern-day reputation of any composer is affected by all sorts of factors, and more
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK JANUARY 2023 27
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