Skipton Music’s 2024-25 season continued with another impressive concert, showcasing the rich contrasts between the vocal consort “Gesualdo Six” and trumpeter Matilda Lloyd. The program was largely specially arranged or composed for this unique combination.
The Gesualdo Six has established a strong reputation for their rich tone and sensitive interpretations of Renaissance music. Meanwhile, Matilda Lloyd is building an international career as one of today’s leading trumpet virtuosos. The challenge was to see how these seemingly different musical styles could blend together.
The answer came in various convincing forms: at times, the trumpet soared above the consort, resembling an additional wordless singer. In contrast, there were moments when the trumpet starkly opposed the vocal harmonies, with exuberant fanfares juxtaposed against smoother melodies.
Amidst the many delightful performances, Eleanor Daley’s “Grandmother Moon” stood out, as did the contrasting pieces that opened each half of the concert: the sumptuous sonorities of Tallis’ “O Nata Lux” and the haunting cluster-chord harmonies of Roxanna Panufnik’s “O Hearken.”
The concert concluded rapturously with James MacMillan’s “In Splendoribus,” where the imaginative use of Skipton’s Town Hall spaces enhanced the quiet ending.
Skipton Music’s next concert is scheduled for Tuesday, November 26, at Skipton Town Hall, featuring the Solem Quartet in collaboration with Shiry Rashkovsky for an evening centered on Mendelssohn’s youthful String Quintet No. 1.
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