| Reviews
Greenwich Early Music Festival 2008 reviewd by Claudine
Nightingale
www.musicalcriticism.com
The next event I attended (on the Sunday morning) was Horses
Brawl, an original duo who perform a unique synthesis of folk and
Early Music, this time at Blackheath Halls, another venue regularly
used during the festival. The music produced by this innovative
ensemble created a rare concert atmosphere indeed.
Several minor disasters befell the group: Laura Cannell's violin
fell off a collapsing table just half an hour before the doors opened
and group guitarist Adrian Lever suffered a broken string mid-performance.
Inaccurate programme information was also a slight disappointment.
Despite all this, however, the vitality and passionate musical invention
shone through.
The duo seem to harbour a slight lack of confidence, but they overcame
it as the performance proceeded. On the other hand, the issue was
further highlighted when they were joined on recorder and viol for
the second half by the very experienced Philip Thorby, even if his
arrival on stage signified a more confident approach to the music
from all as the duo visibly relaxed further into the music.
Particular highlights included Alca, one of the tracks from their
recent CD Dindirin, featuring recorder, guitar and some very welcome
crumhorn playing. What makes Horses Brawl's style so enticing is
their ability to take passages, or even mere snatches of Early Music
and, whilst maintaining their sonic identity, infusing them with
a folk-inspired fervour of hypnotic energy. Most exemplary of this
was Merula, a piece based on part of a canzonetta by Merula (hence
the title) and the string parts from passages of Telemann's Suite
in A minor for recorder and string orchestra. They move sinuously
from one tune to another, and whilst still recognisable, the original
music is ingeniously manipulated and developed.
A genuine crossover ensemble, Horses Brawl would be just at home
in a public house as in a concert hall. They offer vivacious, passionate
and energetic playing of innovative arrangements, seamlessly linked
and developed from snippets of the Early Music oeuvre. This is an
original group with great potential and with more confidence and
a more assured stage presence they could go far.
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Quick
quotes
"It's great stuff.....an early music group to keepan eye on"
BBC RADIO
3
"Foot-tapping folk rhythms and baroque ornamentation".
THE TELEGRAPH
"Highly experimental,
technically wonderful....a fantastic and vibrant performance"
TRADITION Magazine
"Deeply entwined in the sound of medieval and traditional folk,
Horses Brawl are giving a 21st century makeover to the dance music
of the past"
BBC Norfolk
"Horses Brawl's music is vibrant, engaging and completely spellbinding.....I
love it, one of the most exciting bands around"
Steafan Hannigan
"A fascinating progression from formal dance music to semi-improvisation
that had the packed audience roaring for more"
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