• WilliamByrd(1540–1623) •Mymistresshadalittledog

• JohnBull(1562/3-1628) •Fantasyfor4viols

• JohnDowland(1563–1626) •Goenightlycares •AFancy&Themostsacred QueeneElizabeth,herGalliard

• ThomasCampion(1567–1620) •Authoroflight

• JohnJenkins(1592–1678) •SuiteinDminor-Ayre, Almaine,Coranto

• JohnDowland •Lassovitamia •Mythoughtsarewingedwith hopes/SirJohnSouchhisGaliard

• MarinMarais(1656-1728) •SuiteinAmajor,Book5- Prelude,Allemande,Sarabande, Gavotte,Chaconne

• JohnDowland •Flowmytears •Cansheexcuse/TheEarleof EssexGaliard

Thankyouforcomingalongtothefinalconcertinour2010concertseries.Asyoumaybeaware,arockconcertwasscheduledacrosstheroadfromtheMosmanArtGallerywhereweweretooriginallyperformtodaysoIapologiseforanyinconveniencethelatemovetoNorthSydneymayhavecaused. MuchofourfocusisonFrenchmusicbuttodaywe“crosstheEnglishChannel”toexploresomethingoftherichnessofEnglishviolmusic.Asalways,IamgratefultomymusicalcolleaguesfortheirtalentandgenerosityandespeciallytotheRevPatCollinsformakingChristchurchavailabletousatlatenotice.

directedbyJenniferEriksson&TommieAnderson

Across the Channel3.00pm Sunday 24th October

Christchurch Lavender Bay

Program

Welcome from Jennifer Eriksson

www.maraisproject.com.auorjoinusonFacebook

The Marais Project was founded in2000by Jennifer Eriksson to fulfilherdreamof performing the complete works of Marin Marais. However, the ensemble’srepertoirespansseveralhundredyearsofmusicfrom16thcenturyFrenchsongs,toBaroquemotetsandcantatas,soloandaccompaniedsuitesforthebassviolalongwithcommissionedworksbybyAustraliancomposers.TheMaraisProjectrecordsandisinterviewedregularlyforABCradioandhasreleasedtwoCDs,“ViolDreaming”and“LoveReconciled”.CDscanbepurchasedatwww.maraisproject.com.au

History of The Marais Project

Josie Ryan completed her Masters degreespecialising inEarlyVocalMusicandHistoricalPerformancePracticeattheRoyalConservatoryof The Hague, with the aid of a grant fromthe Dutch Government. She had previously

graduated fromSydneyConservatorium. Duringher thirteenyearsintheNetherlandssheperformedasanensemblesingerwithvariousleadinggroupsacrossEurope,includingTheTallisScholars,TheAmsterdamBaroqueChoirandCollegiumVocaleGent. Josie has a broad oratorio and concert solo repertoirerangingfromtheearlyRenaissancetothelateClassicalperiod,and has enjoys a busy concert schedule. Her operatic rolesincludeRameau’sLesfetesd’Hebe(Iphise),Monteverdi’sL’Orfeo(Ninfa) and Cavalieri’s Rappresentatione di Anima e di Corpo(Anima beata). She has been a regular member of PinchgutOperaduringannualvisitstoSydney,andhasreturnedtoliveheresinceNovember2009.

FionaZieglerFionabeganherviolinandpianostudiesattheageoffivewithhermother,Sydneyviolinist,EvaKelly.At theConservatoriumHighSchoolshestudiedviolinwithChristopherKimberandHarryCurby,pianowithNancySalasandcellowithLoisSimpson,attendingmasterclasseswithValeryKlimov,IgorOzimand theQuartettoBeethovendiRoma. Fiona isoneofSydney’s leading baroque violinists and has performed withEnsembledelaReineandfrequentlywithherownbaroquetrio,Concertato. She has been an Assistant Concertmaster of theSydneySymphonysince1995andplaysonhermother’stwo-hundred-and-fiftyyear-oldTestoreviolin.

Tommie Andersson, born in Sweden and based in Sydneysince 1984, is regarded as Australia’s leading specialist inlutesandearlyguitars.Hecompletedhis studiesat theStateConservatoriumofMusic inGöteborg (Gothenburg),Sweden,

with aMasters Degree in Performance, studying under JosefHolecek.HewasthenawardedaSwissGovernmentScholarshipforfurtherstudiesattheScholaCantorumBasiliensis,wherehisteachers included EugenM. Dombois and Hopkinson Smith.Hehastoured,recordedandtaughtextensivelyinSwedenandScandinavia,Western Europe, Malaysia and Japan as well asSouthAmerica.

JenniferErikssoncompletedherinitialmusicalstudiesattheNSWStateConservatoriumofMusicstudyingmusiceducationand cello with Barbara Woolley. She subsequently studiedthe viola da gamba with Jaap ter Linden at the RotterdamConservatorium for three years where she completed post-graduatestudies inbaroquemusic. She foundedTheMaraisProject in 2000 and also directs the Musica Viva in Schoolsensemble,SoundsBaroque.JenniferiswidelyrecognisedasoneofAustralia’sbestknownandmostversatilevioladagambists.

ShaunNgmovedfromSingaporetoEurope in1999tostudyinstrumental performance (violin and viola da gamba) withseveral of the leading practitioners of early music. In 2000,Shaun founded the early music ensemble Musica Obscura(Singapore), which he directed until the group disbanded in2004whenhemovedtoPerth,WesternAustralia.In2010,ShaunwonanAustralianPostgraduateAwardtopursuehisDoctorofMusicalArtsdegreeattheSydneyConservatoriumofMusic.Heiscurrentlystudyingatthe‘Con’withNealPeresdaCosta,AlanMaddoxandDanielYeadon.

ImogenGranwalgainedaDiplomaandPostGraduateDiplomaofMusic(PerformanceCello)fromtheSydneyConservatoriumofMusicstudyingwiththelateLoisSimpson.CurrentlyImogenenjoys playing cellowith the LurlineChamberOrchestra andher stringquartet Stringstory.Her interest in viola da gambawas awakened many years ago and she is delighted to beperformingwithTheMaraisProjectforthisconcert.Shehashadlessonswith Jenny Eriksson, DannyYeadon and attended anEarlyMusicSummerSchoolseveralyearsagoinDaroca,Spain.

Biographies

William Byrd was one of the greatest composers of theEnglishrenaissance.Hewroteinmostofthemusicalformsoftheday including sacredand secularpolyphony (vocalmusicwith several parts),works for keyboard, songs and of course,music for viol consort. The twobest knownByrdmasses areconsideredamongst thefinest sacredvocalmusicofanyera.A Catholic during an era of Protestant reform, Byrdwas alsoa skilled business person. Together with composer ThomasTallishehelda lucrativemusicprintingmonopolygrantedbyElizabethI.

JohnBullwasaleadingkeyboardvirtuosoofhisday.HebecameMaster of Choristers in 1583 at the Hereford Cathedral andChapelRoyalLondon,graduatedwithaMusDfromCambridge1589,gainedaDMusfromOxfordin1592andfinallybecameaPublicReaderatGreshamCollege.MostofBullsmusicwaslostwhenhefled to theNetherlands in1613afterbeingchargedwith adultery. 120 canons, anthems and a vast amount ofoutstandingkeyboardmusicsurvived.

John Dowland was one of the finest lutenists and songcomposersofalltime.HeheldCourtappointmentsinEuropeand England and is considered to be the English master ofthelutesong.Thepopsinger“Sting”hasrecentlypopularisedDowlandreleasingaCDofmanyofhissongs.

ThomasCampioncomposedoveronehundredlutesongsintheBooksofAirs,withthefirstcollection(co-writtenwithPhilipRosseter)appearingin1601andfourmorefollowingthroughoutthe1610s.Healsowroteanumberofmasquesandin1615hepublishedabookoncounterpoint,ANewWayofMakingFowrePartsinCounterpointByaMostFamiliarandInfallibleRule.

John Jenkins was a prolific composer whosemany years oflife, spanning fromWilliam Byrd to Henry Purcell, witnessedgreatchangesinEnglishmusic.Heisnotedfordevelopingtheconsortfantasiaforviolsandcomposednumerous4,5,and6partFantasias forviol consort. Hebreathednew life into theantiquated form of the In Nomine, a violconsortbasedonplainchant. Hewasafinelutenistandalsoavirtuosoonthenowlittleknownlyraviol.

WetakeournamefromthegreatFrenchviolada gambist and composer Marin Marais.Thesonofashoemaker,MaraiswasthecourtgambistforLouisXIVandwrotesomeofthemost virtuostic music ever written for theinstrument.Hisfivebooksofmusicforone,twoandthreevioladagambasandcontinuoare increasingly seen as some of the finestcompositionsforthevioladagamba.

Background to the music

Program notes by Philip Pogson & Jennifer Eriksson