Magdalena Consort

The Magdalena Consort is a chamber ensemble of singers and instrumentalists, founded by Peter Harvey in 2008. The group specialises in 17th and 18th century music and “works collectively to achieve heightened expression in performance through a collaborative approach,” according to their website.

 

The name of the ensemble pays tribute to Anna Magdalena Bach, J.S. Bach's second wife, a gifted musician and a pivotal member of the wider Bach family. There is also an allusion to the saint after whom Anna Magdalena was named, St Mary Magdalen, “the typical representative of sinners called to the contemplative life”.

The concert could have been called “The Stations of Life”, as it showed birth, baptism, marriage and death in pieces by two members of the Bach family and Schmelzer.

 

The ensemble’s singers were outstanding. Julian Podger, filling in for the tenor Charles Daniels, who fell ill, sang beautifully and with conviction. The countertenor Robin Blaze was no disappointment either. Peter Harvey’s baritone expressed every shade of colour, and Julia Doyle brought a full and bright sound to the group.

 

Author: Éva Mikes