BrEMF – Songs of Sinne & Subversion – Joglaresa

The theme of this year’s Brighton Early Music Festival (BrEMF) is ‘Passion’ and this certainly poured forth from Joglaresa. Professor Belinda Sykes has researched how medieval bards liked to put subversive words to well-known tunes thus making new songs, a process called contrafactum. This might have been so academic and dry but for performance she has applied current ‘World Music’ practice and interpretation. The amplified result is very 21st century and quite as far removed from the medieval experience as the electric lighting and the warm church, but it is also very exciting, often beautiful and brim full of passion.

St George’s Church, 25 October 2013
Rating:
Andrew Connal