These recordings by French ensemble Les Witches
are both recent releases by Outhere. 'Lord Gallaway's Lamentation' appears
under its Alpha Productions brand. 'Nobody's Jig' is a reissue as part
of its 'Rewind Collection', originally released with a different cover
on Alpha in 2002 (909).
As the respective titles strongly suggest, both discs offer the listener
a collection of English, Irish and Scottish traditional music from the
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The pieces are performed by Les
Witches on a variety of period instruments with elegance and decorum,
underlining the closeness of this genre to art music - some items are
indeed by bona fide composers. The instrumentarium, harmonies and rhythms
they have chosen enhance this impression, especially when applied with
such thoroughgoing professionalism. Individual members of the ensemble
have impressive pedigrees, needless to say: violinist Odile Edouard,
for example, has played with Les Arts Florissants, Ensemble 415 and
Les Musiciens du Louvre. The group's claim in the notes that their reading
"steers a middle course between the cerebral approach if historical
research and the spontaneity of traditional practice" is true only to
a degree: fans of modern folk combos will likely be disappointed by
the sheer 'correctness' of these performances.
Both recitals are of what is essentially
Gebrauchsmusik: with
'Nobody's Jig' drawn mainly from John Playford's celebrated 'Dancing
Master' (1651-c.1728), and the other from the Gaelic
ceòl
beag tradition, this is primarily music intended for dancing
to, with emphasis always on melodic line and rhythm. Some tracks are
unforgettable: The Beggar Boy, with its long, dramatic crescendo; Wallom
Green, with its surprisingly modern-sounding 'vibe'; Argiers - known
to Playford as 'Bravade', and elsewhere as 'The Wanton Wife' - a real
'earworm' tune given a driving rhythm by Les Witches; Schottisch Tanz,
with its bagpipe imitation; the almost hillbilly Jenny's Whim; the startlingly
cheery Siege of Limerick; the heartfelt regret of Mc Donoghs Lamentation.
The 'Nobody's Jig' booklet gives no information on individual pieces,
but does discuss Playford's 'Dancing Master' as well as the rationale
behind Les Witches' musical choices - the footnoted references a further
indication of the scholarly approach the ensemble take to such projects.
Reflecting the CD's higher price, the booklet for 'Lord Gallaway's Lamentation'
is much more detailed. As well as providing some background on the pieces
themselves, not always easy to come by elsewhere, Siobhán Armstrong
and Claire Michon write at some length on the Irish harp.
The track-listings use some original/archaic spellings and punctuation
(or lack of it). 'Gallaway' is most obviously 'wrong', being neither
Galway nor Galloway - though given the tune's shrouded origins, it could
conceivably be either. Sound quality is excellent. Both discs run to
well over seventy minutes, and so give good value in that respect too.
In its reissued form 'Nobody's Jig' can be found for little over half
the price of the Alpha series, and with the slightly more interesting
and varied music, must be the better place to start an exploration of
Les Witches' growing and fascinating discography.
Byzantion
Collected reviews and contact at artmusicreviews.co.uk
Full track listings:
Lord Gallaway's Delight - An Excellent Collection of Dances &
Gaelic Laments
She Rose and Leit Me in [5:21]
The Ragg Set by a Gentlemen (Irish Rag) [3:55]
Lord Gallaways Lamentation [6:06]
Sir Ulick Burk [4:32]
Mary O'Neill [3:43]
On the Cold Ground [3:08]
Bellamira [3:57]
Molly Halfpenny (Molly O’Hailpin) [3:45]
Limbrick's Lamentation [5:57]
I Loved Thee Once [5:23]
Siege of Limerick [3:17]
Counsellor Mc Donogh's Lamentation [8:11]
Jenny's Whim - Role The Rumple Sawny [2:24]
Lads Of Leight [2:59]
Johney Cock Thy Beaver (A Scotch Tune To A Ground) [3:54]
King's Hornpipe - Newcastle [2:58]
Miss Hamilton [4:15]
Da Mihi Manum (Tabair Dom Do Lámh) [4:06]
Nobody's Jig - Mr Playford's English Dancing Master
Nobody's Jig - Mr Lane's Maggott - Black and Grey [5:49]
Stingo [2:56]
Virgin Queen - Bobbing Joe [3:53]
Daphne [4:54]
Paul's Steeple [3:17]
Prince Rupert March - Prins Robbert Masco [3:11]
Shepherd's Holiday [2:04]
Confess his Tune [1:21]
An Italian Rant [2:19]
Stanes Morris [1:05]
A Health to Betty [2:31]
A Mask, no.6 [4:33]
Drive the Cold Winter Away - The Beggar Boy [5:37]
A Division on a Ground [6:15]
Woodycock [5:31]
Wallom Green [2:13]
Argiers (Bravade) [3:46]
A Piece Without Title [3:32]
Hey to the Camp - Schottisch Tanz [3:37]
Rights of a Man [3:37]
