Mark Duley is quite clear about the reasoning behind his group Christ Church Baroque, which can be heard in a programme of Bach and Handel at Christ Church Cathedral tonight. "We think Dublin needs a period instrument ensemble. It's one of the few European capitals that still doesn't have one." He explains its ideals as the three Ps - period instruments and professional musicians working on a permanent basis. And there's the pulse of proselytising passion in his voice as he talks of the influence of playing early music on historically appropriate instruments. Since coming to Christ Church Cathedral in 1992, this energetic New Zealander has harboured ambitions to have some sort of an ensemble at the cathedral, and, through contacts with the Early Music Organisation of Ireland and the violinist Therese Timoney, the idea for the current group eventually began to take shape.
Christ Church Baroque actually made its debut during the Organ Festival of 1996 in a Mass by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, and it's swinging into full action this year with an Arts Council grant of £10,000 and a capital grant of £80,000 over three years for the purpose of purchasing period instruments. "The Charpentier was a trial run, really, to see if it was going to work. We got the feeling from the players that they definitely wanted to do more. This time around we've gone for a more straightforward programme of Handel and Bach, one which is more demanding in a conventional sense, in terms of virtuosity." A second concert on the theme of death - "so much marvellous music" - is planned for November.
Mark sees the thrust of Christ Church Baroque's endeavours resting on "four planks" - the need to perform the music, to amassing of a collection of instruments, the setting up of education projects, and the creation of a chamber recital series. The Parley of Instruments will be coming in the autumn to perform and give master classes, and the chamber concerts will also involve some of the "fabulous early musicians" who are living in Ireland, with people like violinist Maya Homburger, harpsichordist Malcolm Proud and bassist Barry Guy high on the list. Future plans sound exciting too. Funds permitting, Christ Church Baroque will put on six concerts next year, with open rehearsals, workshops, teaching modules for students from the schools of music, and appearances outside of Dublin, in Waterford, and possibly in the early music festivals in Sligo and Galway. It certainly looks as if the combination of New Zealand enthusiasm and Arts Council funding is set to begin transforming the long-stagnant early music scene in Dublin.
Mark Duley conducts Christ Church Baroque tonight in two concertos from Handel's Op. 6, Bach's Concerto for violin and oboe (soloists Therese Timoney and Matthew Manning), and Handel's Dixit Dominus (with soprano Gillian Keith, mezzo soprano Helen Parker, counter tenor William Purefoy, tenor Nicholas Hurndall Smith, bass Philip O'Reilly, and the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral).
