Last Saturday evening the Hibernian Consort, a group specially formed for this Sligo Baroque Music Festival, was to have given a vocal and instrumental recital with John Elwes (tenor). As ill luck would have it, Elwes had a throat infection and could not sing, so only instrumental items were performed - by two violins (Claire Duff, Sarah Moffatt), gamba (Sarah Cunningham) and harp (Siobhβn Armstrong).
Two trio sonatas were given with lively and resourceful playing, both examples of Schmelzer in his happiest form, and a Gagliarda, attributed to Gesualdo, played on the harp, had those disturbing harmonies that one expects, but they were slightly muted by the mellifluous nature of the instrument.
Some pieces for gamba by Tobias Hume, played with great expressiveness, helped to make up for the absence of singing.
In contrast to the markedly zestful approach of the groups in general, The Parley of Instruments (two violins, bass viol and chamber organ) were almost staid in their scholarly conspectus of the golden age of English consort music.
Their very clear playing made it easier to distinguish the stylistic difference between the comparatively straightforward Gibbons and the expressive complexities of William Lawes, and to recognise some of the influences that could be detected in the Suite in D minor (1685) by Nicola Matteis.
The brief introductory remarks of the director/organist Peter Holman were most helpful in charting the course of the trio repertoire of English music in the 17th century, and the recital ended, appropriately, with a Chaconne in G minor by Purcell.
Following on the Parley of Instruments, in Sunday's late-night concert, was music of a different cast. The group, Phantasticus (recorder, violin, harpsichord and gamba), played some very exciting and showy sonatas by Dario Castello, with all the essential verve and projection, interspersed with similarly extrovert pieces by Selma Y Salaverde, a Spaniard. In the English music virtuosity was to some extent a by-product; but in this Italian and Spanish music the virtuosity was almost the driving force.
Laoise O'Brien (recorder) equalled the intensity of Claire Duff (violin) and the sonatas could be said to have ended with the thrill of a dead heat.
Though Elwes could not sing, he had retained enough voice to direct a semi-professional performance of Blow's Venus and Adonis, which he had been preparing in between concerts during the weekend. Sligo's Early Music Ensemble, stiffened by Sarah Cunningham and harpsichordist Malcolm Proud, was the orchestra and the Amaryllis Singers the chorus.
Inspired by Elwes's energy and enthusiasm, remarkable progress was made and in the final performance at lunchtime on Sunday, the work took on a shapeliness that had seemed unthinkable at rehearsal.
The participants may have learnt more about the spirit of baroque through this experience than through the concerts they attended, where standards were dauntingly high.
