Concert at Berwick Parish Church features an unusual instrument
On October 24, a large audience in Berwick Parish Church heard a most unusual instrument played, the archlute, which had been found in a Berwick vintage shop.
Invented in 17th Century Italy, the archlute has 18 strings and an improbably long neck, added to extend the bass resonance of the conventional lute.
I would describe its soothing notes as a welcome antidote to our amplified musical culture and with eyes closed, the listener could picture the court of Queen Elizabeth I or finely dressed dancers performing a galliard.
The concert was given to celebrate the life of Edinburgh musician Francis Cowan, the brother of local violinist Lucy Cowan. A gifted jazz guitarist and valued Edinburgh lute player, Francis died tragically in a car accident aged 56.
Lucy began the concert with a solo violin piece For Frances, which started like Bach and morphed into improvisation worthy of Stephan Grapelli.
Edinburgh musician Eric Thomas introduced the audience to the lute’s gentle, caressing sound in a number of period pieces that demonstrated his instrument, culminating in some familiar tunes by John Dowland.
These were followed by three songs by Dowland, sung beautifully by Cameron Robertson and Kuniko Toda. In the fine acoustic of the church, these spoke of an age of subtle composition and true artistry.
The concert ended with two movements from an 18th Century trio sonata by Quantz, played by Eric with Catherine Preston (flute) and Lucy Cowan (baroque violin).
The concert was presented by Berwick Music Society in conjunction with Berwick Parish Church, whose musical director Kit Hobkirk emphasised that these concerts are free to all, with no tickets or entry price – donations are invited according to means to pay.