House Concert

House Concert, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

A house concert is a wonderful experience; there is an intimacy you don't get in churches or concert halls. I went to a benefit concert on behalf of Les Voix Humaines. They are raising money to pay for the viola da gambas they had made by Pierre Charette and Hélène Cossette. Not only did I hear music played by Les Voix Humaines, but they were joined by lutenist, Sylvain Bergeron, soprano, Hélène Brunet and countertenor, Daniel Taylor.  Here is one of the songs he sang: O waly, waly, accompanied by Sylvain Bergeron.

What a treat! And, of course, we got to hear the new viols.
Back of the Tenor Viol




Viol Head in profile (a young Charles I of England)


I first met this viol in November when I was at a meeting at Susie Napper's house. You can learn more about the process of making a viol here.

Viola da Gamba

Viola da Gamba, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

I went to a house concert - on the programme was music for two viola da gambas played by Les Voix Humaines. What a treat to hear music in an intimate setting! We were treated to pieces by Marin Marais, Sainte-Colombe, Couperin, Corrette and Lebègue - music which in turn invigorated, inspired, touched the soul and made one smile. This duo has been playing together for more than 25 years and the communication between them and blending of their sound and their musical ideas is perfect.

For the uninitiated, this may look like a cello but there are many differences. Like the better known violin family, viola da gambas come in different sizes. However, the shape is slightly different. All viola da gambas are played held on or between the legs (gamba - leg in Italian). They have frets which can be moved slightly to alter the tuning. They usually have 6 strings, though this is not always the case.. The one above has 6, the one below has 7 - an addition that was made to some French viols to add a lower note. Strings are made of gut, which require more frequent tuning as they are more prone to stretching and slipping than metal strings.



You can see that the bow is held underhanded. Many viola da gambas have beautifully carved heads. Here is a closeup of the head on the top gamba.



It represents Charles I of England (he who lost his head). It is a historic viol made by Barak Norman in the late 1600s. Learn more about the viola da gamba from the site of Les Voix Humaines.

Day 176: Viola da Gamba Head

Day 176: Viola da Gamba Head, originally uploaded by susanvg.

The Montreal Baroque Festival has begun, launched at City Hall with music by Les Voix Humaines played on viola da gambas. This is the head of one of the period instruments, part of a collection from Hart House in Toronto. Some people mistakenly think that gambas are the ancestors of the violin family, but they are really quite different. They have frets, are all played in a similar position to the cello and are bowed underhand (you can read about them here). Susie Napper, the creative force behind the festival, discovered this chest of viols; they had not been played in about 70 years. She arranged to have them refurbished and brought them to the festival. Les Voix Humaines, of which Susie is one of the founders, played at the launch and then later played a full concert. The sound was rich and glorious.

The theme of this year's festival is Death by Chocolate in honour of Henry Purcell. One theory of why is died is a surfeit of chocolate. So each concert is named for some sort of chocolate delicacy and a sample is served as you exit the concert. This is the seventh year of the festival and each year Susie's creativity in terms of theme and programming is extraordinary. And the lines between performers and audience are blurred by encounters in the festival cafe where all intermingle, chat and celebrate the joys of music.