When John Dowland composed the seven pavans that form the famous 'Lachrimae', he gave the instrumental repertoire one
of its first masterpieces. The Sit Fast consort, led by Atsushi Sakai, features a new version of this timeless score.
The viol also features in George Benjamin's 'Upon Silence', written in 1990 for five viols and mezzo-soprano, based on a
poem by Yeats, extends and updates the poetic tears of John Dowland.
Four centuries separate the two composers but with themes of grief, polyphonic writing and viol consort in common, they are
elegantly recorded by the Sit Fast consort.
John DOWLAND: Lachrimae, or Seven Teares [1604]
1 Lachrimae Antiquae | 2 Lachrimae Antiquae Novae | 3 Lachrimae Gementes
4 Lachrimae Tristes | 5 Lachrimae Coactae | 6 Lachrimae Amantis | 7 Lachrimae Verae
8-10 George BENJAMIN: Upon Silence (1990) for mezzo soprano and 5 viols [1960 |
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