BREMF – The Telling – The Lily and the Rose

The hairs on the back of my neck rose; not because it’s the spooky season but from the exact tuning of three clear voices returning to the same note. This sensuous frisson recurred frequently as Clare Norburn (soprano), Ariane Prüssner (mezzo-soprano) and Leah Stuttard (harp, voice, drum) took us in song around Medieval Europe. Floral melodies from Italy, England, Spain, France and Germany evoked both secular passions and the mysteries of the Virgin Mary. While skilful coloured lighting by Pitch Back greatly enhanced the mood, we then could not easily follow the programme notes to tell what we were hearing.

St Paul’s Church, 4 November 2016

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