Piping down the valleys wild

This is the first in a series of four concerts celebrating the remarkable life & work of David Munrow – one of the great pioneers of ‘early music’. Munrow (who died exactly 50 years ago) was an inspiration to thousands. His regular radio slot PIED PIPER had countless listeners enthralled as he deftly opened up a world of lesser-known repertoire to a wider public.

Of Munrow’s over 50 recordings, one of his most iconic is of Praetorius’ dances from Terpsichore and motets from Musae Sioniae.. His name will also always be associated with the foot-tapping dances of Tielman Susato – the 16th-century composer, player & publisher from Antwerp (whose shop displayed the sign “In de Kroomhoorn!”). Susato’s famous Mourisque could even be said to be Munrow’s signature tune, featuring in myriad adaptations in his live performances.

In the intimate setting of St Lawrence’s at Broughton we find not only splendid 15th-century wall paintings but also a chained copy of Erasmus’s Paraphrases – re-writings of the Gospels, dating from 1517 to 1524. This connection to the Netherlands inspires Fiori to meld dance music from the Low Countries, made popular by Munrow, with sacred pieces by Praetorius from Wolfenbüttel, near Hanover (Pied Piper country, of course!), spiced with early Italian instrumental music.

Programme:
Susato ‘Mourisque’ from Danserye
Praetorius Praesatio quotidiana from Missa in festo nativitatis Christi
Turini Sonata a tre (secondo tuono)
Susato Basse Danse 'Dont vient cela' from Danserye
Uccellini Bergamasca
Praetorius Sanctus from Missa in festo nativitatis Christi
Anon. 14th-century Saltarello
Praetorius Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen
Cima Sonata a tre from I concerti ecclesiastici
Praetorius Benedictus from Missa in festo nativitatis Christi
Praetorius Dances from Terpsichore

Fiori Musicali Chamber Ensemble:
Heidi Fardell recorder
Hazel Brooks violin
Lynda Sayce theorbo, recorder, viola da gamba
Sue Addison tenor sagbutt, slide trumpet
Penelope Rapson organ, director