BREMF – CITY OF DREAMS – Daria Mazzocchio, BREMF C of V, Monteverdi String Band, The Royal Sackbut Collective

St George’s was full and busy with excitement as a very focussed chorus of pupils from Stanford Junior School & St Andrew’s CE Primary School and their families waited for the spectacle to begin. The Monteverdi String Band opened with the stately strains of Caroso’s Pavane. The children sitting around the players, after a full day at school, had become familiar with the antique instruments during their afternoon rehearsal. They clearly knew what they were doing – there was no messing about. Gradually the chatter ceased as the adults at the back realised that the show had begun. Then Daria Mazzocchio, in costume as Marie de Medici, Queen of France, unfolded her complex and intriguing tale, punctuated and adorned with exquisite musical interludes – but wait a minute, this story turned out to be a potted and partial history of her whole illustrious family, and this presented a problem. Mazzocchio had to rattle her lines out at break-neck speed or else we’d have been there well past the children’s bed time. Her delivery was excellent but, alas, far too fast for the facts, the characterisation and the jokes to land easily. There was just too much story to tell in the time allowed.

The music in the first half of the concert was beautiful but very earnest, funereal or penitential. BREMF Consort of Voices sang with their usual clarity and precision but they would have been well served with something lighter. Perhaps it’s not easy to smile while playing a sackbut, but there could have been some Italianate strutting, bravura, a flourish of their splendid instruments. Similarly, the exotic strings, not your usual violins, guitar or lute, could have been presented with a bit of showmanship. Instead the adult performance came across as worthy rather than entertainment.

When the children were finally brought to the fore they were brilliant, but their sober Ave Maria was just too brief. Thankfully they had lots more to do in the second half. They clearly loved Bacco, bacco (a lively hymn to Bacchus) and were very enthusiastic about the Italian verse of Sempre mi ride sta – well done indeed! Credit too to the nimble messengers, courtiers and elegant young actors who stood up with brief but very important rôles. Mustering that many children to process with elaborate lights, to dance, to cluster and to sing is no small achievement so kudos to the teachers, assistants and attendant parents as well.

This was always going to be a mixed event and no part was lacking or inferior but it didn’t quite hold together. The City of Dreams would have been better served with twenty minutes less of the script and some more of the brighter music.

Andrew Connal
St George’s Church
2 October 2026

Rating:

Monteverdi String Band
Oliver Webber – director, violin, lira da braccio
Theresa Caudle – violin
Wendi Kelly & David Brooker – viola
Mark Caudle – bass violin
Stefano Fiacco – theorbo, guitar

The Royal Sackbut Collective
Jonathan Stevens, Tom Hornby, Pau Hernández – alto & tenor sackbuts
Andrew Cowie tenor sackbut; José Teixeira, Jonny Lovatt – bass sackbut
Rob Millett – percussion

BREMF Consort of Voices – James Elias director

Pupils from Stanford Junior School & St Andrew’s CE Primary School

Saria Steyl – writer, director
Daria Mazzocchio – actor
Joseph Taylor – animateur
Lantern design and making Shan Isherwood and Same Sky with pupils from St Andrew’s & Stanford schools

Programme:
Fabritio Caroso c. 1526/35–after 1605 – Laura soave: Pavane – Galliard – Saltarello – Canario
Guillaume Dufay c. 1397–1474 – Nuper rosarum flores (first section)
Anonymous c. 15th century – À Florence la joyeuse cité
Heinrich Isaac c. 1450–1517 – Quis dabit capiti meo aquam
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina c. 1525–1594 – Domine, quando veneris judicare terram
Philippe Verdelot c. 1480/85–c. 1530/32 – Se l’ardor foss’ equale
Anonymous 1526 Florentine choir book – Ave Maria
Anonymous 15th century – Funeral Office for Cosimo de’ Medici : Hodie beata Virgo Maria
Emilio de’ Cavalieri c. 1550–1602 – O che nuovo miracolo
Eustache Du Caurroy 1549–1609 – Pavane pour le mariage de Henry le Grand en 1600, Gaillarde en suitte, 2e Gaillarde en suitte

Giulio Caccini 1551–1618 – Il rapimento di Cefalo: I. Ineffabile ardore
Marchetto Cara c. 1465–c. 1525 – Io non compro più speranza
Anonymous Pesaro MS 16th century – Romanesca
Francesca Caccini 1587–after 1641 – Chi desia di saper
Francesco Corteccia 1502–1571 – Bacco, bacco
Matthias Werrecore c. 1500–after 1574 – La Bataglia Taliana
Adrian Willaert c. 1490–1562 – Sempre mi ride sta
Verdelot – Ultimi miei sospiri
Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger c. 1580–1651 – Aria di Fiorenza
Giulio Caccini – Il rapimento di Cefalo: V Quand’ il bell’anno primavera infiora
Anonymous early 16th century – Canto di lanzi sonatori di ribecchine