The Curious Bards

For this concert, The Curious Bards incorporate an important part of Irish and Scottish culture: the songs.

These songs, collected from 18th century collections, tell us the story of both countries, through their tales of love, despair and patriotism.

The songs are taken from collections such as 'Orpheus Caledonius' (1733), 'Calliopeor a musical miscellany' (1788), 'Vocal magazine' (1798), 'A collection of Scots songs' (Bremner, 1757)...

The poems and melodies of these songs, in addition to being entertainment, could also be seductive, lamenting or even political and patriotic in nature.

The song 'My Gentle Harp', for example, written by the great Irish poet Thomas Moore, is intended to give political support to Irish culture in the face of the English enemy.

Throughout the concert, these songs will be punctuated by dance sequences typical of Gaelic culture, such as the jig and the reel, but also by exotic ballads!

Ilektra Platiopoulou, the guest singer for this programme, will move from humour to tears, from ardour to despair, to bring you closer to the soul of the Gaels.

Cast

Sarah Van Oudenhove, viola da gamba
Jean-Christophe Morel, Irish cistrum
Louis Capeille, triple harp
Bruno Harlé, flutes
Alix Boivert, baroque violin & direction
Guest artist: Ilektra Platiopoulou, mezzo-soprano

Programme

Set of 3 Scottish tunes from « A collection of scots reels or country dances », 1757

The lads of Elgin
The Highlandman kissed his mother
The Fyket
 

Since sounding drums (Irish song from "Vocal magazine", 1798)

Highland battle (from « Caledonian pocket companion », 1750)
 

Set of 3 Irish tunes

Mary O'neill (Turlough O'carolan)
The lads of Dunse (« HibernianMuse », 1770)
Port Patrick (« Hibernian Muse », 1770)
 

Farewell (Scottish song from "The musical miscellany", 1786)

Set of 2 tunes with variations

Rakes of Mallow (Irish instrumental with variations, 1800)
Reel of Tulloch (Scottish instrumental with variations of David Young, 1734)

Kilkenny is a handsome place (Irish song from "Calliope or a musicalmiscellany", 1788)

My gentle harp (Irish song with lyrics by Thomas Moore, 1798)

Set of 3 Irish/Scottish tunes

Lady Herriot Hopes (from « Edinburgh repository of music »)
Sir Adam Ferguson's reel (from « Collection of Scots Reels, Minuets », 1766)
Bonny Lads (from « 48 original irish dances », 1795)
 

King of the blind (from « A collection of the most celebrated Irish tunes », 1724)
 

My harry was a gallant gay (Scottish song from "Scottish songs", 1794)

Set of 2 Irish tunes

John Nugent (« Hibernian Muse », 1770)
Bumper Squire Jones (Turlough O'carolan)
 

Set of 3 Scottish tunes from « A collection of Strathspey, reels and jigs... », 1797

Miss Loraine of Kirkharles
Fight about the Fire side
Lochailis away to France
 

Lady Anne Bothwell's lament (Scottish song from "Orpheus Caledonius" de1733)