Photo courtesy of Kristina Allen
Last week, thanks to the wonderfully eclectic performance space Stone Nest – I discovered yet another group who are pushing the boundaries of performance beyond those serried ranks of players on a concert stage: Figure ‘a forward-thinking historical performance ensemble, committed to reaching new and existing audiences through immersive musical experiences’.
Founded just after the pandemic, Figure consists of mainly of young, early career musicians playing period instruments. They have performed at the Union Chapel, Islington (Reflection & Remembrance – Requiems by Fauré and Charpentier), the Swiss Church, Covent gardens (This is my Body – Buxtehude’s Membra Jeus Nostri), Holland Park Opera (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and now at Stone Nest with Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater.
Stone Nest, for those who have not been there, is a round Victorian Welsh chapel hidden behind the bright lights of Shaftesbury Avenue in London’s West End; for ‘Our Mother’ the action took place on a slightly raised cross shaped stage around which a largely standing audience gathered. The five singers representing Mary at the foot of the cross moved around and on and off the stage comforting and supporting each other as the music unfolded. Pergolesi’s timeless arias, seamlessly woven together by by Alex Mills‘ new music, were shared between three generations of singers: ‘our own’ Emma Kirkby and mezzo soprano Catherine Carby represented the older generation, Rowan Pierce and Alexandra Achillea Pouta the younger with the very youngest role being taken by teenager Nadya Pickup taking time off from her GCSEs. Emma and Nadya seen below courtesy of photographer Kristina Allen.
The singing was wonderful and incredibly moving; the playing under Frederick Waxman, Figure’s musical director (five strings, a theorbo and a chamber organ) matched the singers every step of the way. The lighting was subtle, the atmosphere electric. It truly was a performance for Passion Week.
I can’t wait to hear about Figure’s next project.
I was also interested, although not suprrised, to note that Figure was one of the very many period instrument groups supported by the very splendid Continuo Foundation that I wrote about a few weeks ago. Speaking of which, those interested in the historic suppers that we sometimes serve at Salon Music might want to take a look at this piece I wrote for their sister site Continuo Connect on creating historic meals.
Upcoming Salon Music concerts
Monday April 8th
Book here for the Bassett Horn Ladies of the Vauxhall Band For more on this concert see this post about the basset horns, and this post about Vauxhall Pleasure gardens.
There are only two tickets left for this concert, if you are interested in coming.
Thursday 16th May
Declan Hickey – solo guitar recital. For more details see this post and to book, go here.
Sunday 26th May – Highgate Society lunchtime concert
Anna Scott sings and plays Americana classics. For more details and to book go here.
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