CDs recorded by John Hadden -- The Harp Consort - Spanish Gypsies

Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 05472 77516 2

SPANISH GYPSIES Spanish and Celtic music in 17th century England The Harp Consort Rachel Podger - baroque violin Nancy Hadden - renaissance flute Hille Perl - viola da gamba, lira viol, baroque guitar Keith McGowan - shawm Lee Santana - theorbo, cittern, baroque guitar Steve Player - gittern, baroque guitar, bagpipes Michael Metzler - percussion directed by Andrew Lawrence-King - harp, triple harp, Irish harp, Spanish harp, psaltery

The music of Shakespeare's England - the music of John Dowland, William Byrd and Orlando Gibbons - seems at first so quintessentially English, yet the most popular tunes for ballad-singing, dancing, gittern-playing or indeed for high-art composition were strongly influenced by the harmonies and rhythms of Celtic and Spanish music. The Spanish Gypsies follows Celtic and Spanish tunes, and the instruments associated with them from their "gypsy" origins, through popular ballads to high-art consort music, bringing together variants from many sources to create our own improvised divisions.

Klassik Heute
"Andrew Lawrence-King's ensemble, The Harp Consort , brings together artists famous as Early Music soloists - violinist Rachel Podger, gambia-player Hille Perl and flautist Nancy Hadden collaborate in this project . For all three, the expedition into the lighter style of the 17th century seems to have been a particular pleasure, to judge by the results: the recording is characterised by a jam-session atmosphere. The presentation of the CD suggests cross-over. In fact, here is a kaleidoscope of catchy pieces, which present a rich spectrum a moods from boisterousness to dreamy idyll.

Hannoversche Allgemeine
"The multi-talented harpist Andrew Lawrence-King (who here plays four different types of harp and the psaltery) and The Harp Consort show by the power of their joyful improvisations how successfully English musicians borrowed from Celtic and Spanish sources, from which they also created their own blend of gypsy music. And the best thing about this CD: it has nothing of pedagogical musicology about it, but is a real pleasure to listen to. It gets into your ears, and into your feet. Much of it is fine chamber music and yet dramatically exciting, elsewhere it is intriguing, or full of impetus. Whether or not these fellows have gypsy blood, their music always has, as the title of one of the pieces says, a Spanish humor."

Frankenpost
"Andrew Lawrence-King and his ensemble, The Harp Consort, set off on the trail of Spanish and Celtic gypsy music of the 17th century. The sounds of the historical harp are surrounded by an exotic collection of instruments - including not only castanets, but also African drums - seducing the listener into a fascinating, strange world."

MusikWoche
"This CD stands out from the mass of new Early Music releases by a mile. That is above all due to a well-considered and coherent concept, the inspiration of harpist and director of The Harp Consort, Andrew Lawrence-King. Who would know that the dance music of Shakespeare's time was permeated with elements of the Spanish gypsy tradition? Even in the midst of the Celtic sounds of Scottish and Irish melodies, the harmonies have been borrowed from southern climes. The charm lies in the blend with the familiar sound-world of the British Isles and in the interpretation on the typical instruments of the English court. Naturally, The Harp Consort plays on exact copies of 17th-century instruments, which the musicians clearly master with great virtuosity. Thus a sound-world is created, in which awareness of the historical background adds to the gain in vitality, and offers even for afficionados new and exciting insights."

RTV
"Magnificent Celtic tone-colours over rhythms from Iberia and southern lands - those are the characteristics of the Spanish/Celtic gypsy music of the 17th century, which can be discovered on the latest CD from Andrew Lawrence-King and his ensemble, The Harp Consort. Spanish Gypsies contains music that is bubbling with temperament and joie de vivre, in which Celtic and Spanish influences are combined in a fascinating manner. With Spanish Gypsies, Andrew Lawrence-King and the musicians of The Harp Consort have opened up an utterly captivating repertoire. When well-known Scottish and Celtic dance-forms are blended with exotic harmonies, when The Harp Consort begins to improvise spontaneously on these ancient melodies, then Early Music comes to life, as if it had been written only yesterday."

Aktivissimo
"When well-known Scottish and Celtic dance-forms are blended with exotic harmonies, when The Harp Consort begins to improvise spontaneously on these ancient melodies, then Early Music comes to life, as if it had been written only yesterday, and sounds more modern than a lot of new music!"

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