18th-century Birmingham: EMS 14 September

[doversoul1]

Lucie Skeaping is joined by harpsichordist Martin Perkins to explore the music 18th-century audiences in Birmingham and the Midlands would have known. The programme includes rarely heard works by John Pixell, Richard Mudge, Joseph Harris, Barnabas Gunn, Jeremiah Clark of Worcester and Capel Bond.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04h7lg1

Rarely heard works indeed. Definitely worth hearing. For a change, the playlist is included on the webpage.

[doversoul1]

Whilst the music was pleasant but nothing to wave a flag about, the programme was very interesting. It nicely illustrated the music away from royal occasions and rich patrons. I hope Martin Perkins will discover who the mystery trumpeter was. I thought the soprano was very good and wish her best on her further career.

[ardcarp]

It was a lovely programme, dovers, and that soprano (Louise Wayman) really was superb; capable of 'straight' singing when needed, but also of warmth and expressivity. She deserves to be better known IMO. I wonder if Richard Mudge was related to the famous watchmaker, Thomas?

This was EMS at its best. Lots of music played with 'light scholarship' from Lucie. I didn't mind that the music was 'nothing to wave a flag about'. Sometimes the spirit of the times is best captured by the work of highly competent craftsmen composers.

[doversoul1]

Oh, I am very fond of nothing-to-wave-a-flag about music. A lot of music I listen to is just that by Italian, German, Flemish, and French or Spanish composers. It is my way of saying that it isn’t just The Great Music that is worth listening to, and Early Music Show proves it.

As you say:

Sometimes the spirit of the times are best captured by the work of highly competent craftsmen composers

[subcontrabass]

[QUOTE=ardcarp;429401 I wonder if Richard Mudge was related to the famous watchmaker, Thomas?
[/QUOTE]

Brothers: see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zachari...28clergyman%29

[MickyD]

I too thought it was a delightful programme, nothing I like more then exploring the byways of neglected English composers - many of them wrote music of much charm. And thanks to the Hyperion English Orpheus series, I now have a goodly collection of them.

[ardcarp]

Brothers: see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zachari...28clergyman%29

Thanks, Subc.
Maybe also:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Mudge_(horologist)