BREMF – DRAW ON, SWEET NIGHT – Kieran White (tenor), Daniel Murphy (lute), The Republic of Viols

They did John Dowland proud – celebrating 400 years since the death of the Master of Melancholy, the premier lutenist of his age, the golden age of English music. Kieran White returned to BREMF in excellent company and with a first rate programme.

Daniel Murphy

With the gentlest touch of the lute, so quiet I thought he was just testing his strings, Daniel Murphy started the concert in a restrained manner that admirably suited the whole theme of night and dreams. White’s clear voice and immaculate diction carried Flow, my tears quietly throughout the church, and then the Republic of Viols came in, confidently resonant and yet quiet too. They had spared us all that ritual tuning so many viol consorts deem essential – it was quite a dramatic moment. St Nicholas’ was full, the audience frozen in silent attention, a fitting homage to Dowland. Three of his exquisite laments were followed by Gibbons’ The Silver Swan. The ambience had become even more intimate with Lucine Musaelian singing the tune while White stepped back to accompany with the tenor part. Another familiar contemporary English work, Campion’s Never weather-beaten sail, concluded the first set.

Kieran White

However, Dowland was also an international minstrel. His acclaimed I saw my lady weep went very well with the French works of later generations by Charpentier and Moulinié that demonstrated White’s skill at ornamentation.

Eventually, half way through the concert, the viols did take a moment to tune, very efficiently, before joining the lute in two more delightful instrumental laments. Murphy’s subtle flourishes and decorations added beautiful highlights to the viols’ rich sonorities.

The Republic of Viols

Apparently this was the first time they had all performed as an ensemble. Well, it sounded as though they had years of close collaboration and experience together, especially when taking the fiendishly syncopated Can she excuse my wrongs at such a break-neck speed. In stark contrast, just the tenor and lute concluded the programme with Time stands still, Dowland at his most sublime – and there was no following that.

Andrew Connal
St Nicholas’ Church
17 October 2026

Rating:

Performers:
Kieran White – tenor
Daniel Murphy – lute
Republic of Viols:
Lucine Musaelian, Gavin Kibble, Nathan Giorgetti, Reiko Ichise, Sam Ng – viols.

Programme:
I — The Coming of Night
John Dowland:
Lachrimae antiquae / Flow, my tears
Weep no more, sad fountains
Come, heavy Sleep
Orlando Gibbons: – The Silver Swan
Thomas Campion – Never weather-beaten sail

II — Dreams
Dowland – I saw my lady weep
Marc-Antoine Charpentier – Sans frayeur
Étienne Moulinié – Enfin la beauté que j’adore

III — The Deepest Night
Dowland:
Lachrimae tristes
Semper Dowland, semper dolens
The Earl of Essex allemande / Can she excuse my wrongs

IV — Time Suspended
Dowland – Time stands still