The Taverner Consort at 50 - Andrew Parrott on The Early Music Show

Andrew was delighted to feature on BBC Radio 3’s Early Music Show this past Sunday 27th August, in conversation with Hannah French to discuss the Taverner Consort’s 50th Anniversary, as well as the self-publication of his new book, The Pursuit of Musick. The programme is available to listen to on BBC Sounds until the 26th September.

Telling the story of how he found his way into the world of early music, Andrew reflected on the creation of the Taverner Consort in anticipation of a performance of Tallis’s Spem in alium with Michael Tippett as part of the Bath Festival in 1973. Though the Taverner Consort & Choir would record this magical 40-part motet in their future, Andrew’s choice of ‘Taverner’ as the titular composer for his ensemble provoked a playing of Audivi vocem de coelo, alongside the opening of Robert Carver’s O bone Jesu a19. 

Andrew and Hannah then discussed the consort’s longstanding relationships with both EMI and the BBC. Andrew reflects fondly on how these connections allowed the Taverner Choir, Consort & Players to explore previously unrecorded music with a generous support network, opening doors to the world of early music and creating performance and recording opportunities to share this practice with listeners. Moving between sacred and secular projects, the next recording featured was Caccini’s Florentine Intermedi, put on by the Medici family in 1589, and recorded by Taverner in 1986. In this section from a much larger work, a Sorceress, performed here by Emily Van Evera, rides in a golden chariot drawn by dragons (who we regret to inform you were not present at the time of recording!) to open the fiery clouds above.

Leaping forward in the history of the Consort, Hannah introduced discussion surrounding the recording of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo in 2012. Calling it ‘the perfect opera’, Andrew commented on his approach to conducting this work on multiple occasions. From this momentous recording, Andrew selected Possente spirto, the centre of the work, and an exceptional moment for the titular character, for which we can assume is not only written by Monteverdi, but also reflects the ornamentation of his original performer of Orfeo, Francesco Rasi. In the Taverner recording, Orfeo is sung by Charles Daniels. 

Alongside the Taverner Consort, Andrew has produced a number of written works, including The Essential Bach Choir (2000) and Composer’s Intentions? (2015). Alongside these two books is the newly-published work The Pursuit of Musick, referred to by Hannah as ‘an incredible compendium of original sources.’ Having been asked the question ‘how on earth did you go about putting it together?,’ Andrew commented on his vision of creating a work for anyone with any amount of interest in early music and its surrounding contexts outside the boundaries of traditional musicological chronology, using the words and images of the people who engaged with and experienced this music at these times. As Hannah replies, ‘these are the voices of those people,’ presented throughout the book in sections through the dedicated collation by Andrew. Flicking through the pages to find Venice in 1620, Hannah found a nugget of information regarding the exact numbers of singers and players in the band at a performance that Monteverdi himself was in attendance at. Sharing this city with Lotti, a recording of his glorious Crucifixus a10 is then heard. Though often performed by larger choirs, Andrew here explores his belief that music of this ilk be performed in a one-to-a-part context.

Moving on from Lotti, Andrew and Hannah discuss the musical ‘constant companion’ of Andrew’s career: Henry Purcell. Remembering the 1959 Handel & Purcell Celebration, Andrew discusses how at this moment Purcell was still new to him, but became such an important part of his life. In attempting to convey ‘a snapshot of his life’ in just three pieces, Andrew chose the following works by Purcell: 

Tis nature’s voice is a particular favourite; Andrew reflects on sitting with Purcell’s manuscript of this work in the Bodleian Library in Oxford, and imagining the work in performance fondly in his head. This version is sung by Rogers Covey-Crump.

Moving from Purcell to Bach, Hannah introduced his Mass in B minor as a work that highlights one of Andrew’s ‘fingerprints:’ the essential Bach choir, or the understanding that the majority of Bach’s choral music was performed by a one-to-a-part choir. Indeed, the Crucifixus from this work was originally written for performance in Weimar, for which there are only four copies, with no suggestion in these original parts that there was more than one singer. 

Finishing the programme with a final reflection on 50 years of the Taverner Consort, Andrew acknowledges the everlasting potential for growth and exploration within the world of early music - it is, as Hannah puts it, ‘the continuum.’ 

Andrew thoroughly enjoyed his time on BBC Radio 3, and extends his thanks to Hannah French and David Gallagher. You can listen to the programme in full on BBC Sounds until the 26th September.