What better way to enjoy spring in London than a day at the Lord’s test on the Friday…
England v West Indies, 1st Test, Day Two, Lord’s, 18 May 2012
…then following the test match for the rest of the weekend, then rounding off the weekend with some early music at SJSS?
That was a rhetorical question, people. There is NO better way.
We went to see Musica ad Rhenum under Jed Wentz. I always worry about people named Jed, because I am so regularly having my pseudonym, Ged, mis-spelt as Jed. My life would be easier if these J-people chose not to abbreviate their names to Jed. I don’t think I am asking too much there.
But I digress.
The music was mostly Couperin – see extract from the programme below.
It was part of the Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music that year – we just chose the one concert. It was one delightful concert too.
Yes, Janie and I did have a giggle at one of the pieces being named “La toilette de Venus”. Yes we can both be very childish.
For some reason, Jed Wentz and Musica ad Rhenum have put an enormous amount of their Couperin instrumental music into the public domain, so you can listen here:
The closest I can get to a sample of the lovely soprano, Andréanne Paquin, is the following choir piece, which includes her, singing Charpentier/Lully – not a million miles from Couperin:
Anyway, the above is a really lovely short vid. If you don’t like it, you can metaphorically flush it down La Metaphorical Toilette de Venus by not playing it.