Musique Royale Concert with Thomas Baeté and Suren Barry

​For the second year in a row, Musique Royale hosted a concert at St. John’s. This year we were delighted to welcome Thomas Baeté, who played the viola da gamba and also sang, and Suren Barry, who played harpsichord.

Their generous programme consisted of pieces from the 17th and 18th centuries, by a variety of composers including the Englishman Matthew Locke (1622-1677), J.S. Bach (1685-1750) from Germany, and Frenchmen Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764) and Marin Marais (1656-1728). Themed around the title “Of Myth and Man”, these selections were from music written around themes of Greek myths, a popular focus for composers in this time period.

Thomas and Suren are first and foremost experts on their chosen instruments, displaying a creative energy individually and as a duet. They are also delightful and amusing gentlemen, generously sharing their knowledge with the audience between pieces.

St John’s offers an intimate setting for a concert of this nature, with good acoustics and a welcoming ambience. Attendees were richly rewarded by the very fine performances offered by these magnificent musicians.

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