Ricercar Consort . Philippe Pierlot

After B'Rock, it's the turn of the unbeatable Ricercar Consort, who are performing the 'Ode on the Death of Henry Purcell'. This work by John Blow is an exceptionally original and profound composition, and Dryden's elegiac text is an added bonus. The setting - two countertenors, two flutes and figured bass - symbolises the subtle character of this moving piece. The Ricercar Consort and the two countertenors, Carlos Mena and Damien Guillon, combine Blow's elegy with a selection of duets for countertenor from Purcell's oeuvre. It is by turns brilliant and virtuosic, then tranquil and subtle. It fits the members of the Ricercar Consort like a glove, knowing as they do just how to tap into the deepest emotional levels of baroque music.