The Spirit of Gambo – John Jenkins: Late Chamber Music (2021) DSF DSD64

The Spirit of Gambo – John Jenkins: Late Chamber Music (2021)
DSF Stereo DSD64/2.82MHz | Time – 01:05:19 minutes | 2,59 GB | Genre: Classical
Source: SACD | Artwork: Front cover | © Stockfisch Records

The – mainly instrumental – music of John Jenkins (1592 – 1678), one of the most prolific composers of 17th century England, shows an interesting development from late-Renaissance to Baroque. Early works are the polyphonic fantasias for four-, five-, and six-part viol consort. In those days Jenkins presumably was active in London, where he was part of the music circles of the court of Charles I. Hardly anything is known about this first half of Jenkins’s life, but there is mention of him as a musician for the magnificent pageant “The Triumph of Peace” which took place in London in 1634.

The chamber music pieces on this CD must have originated during the time that Jenkins was staying with the Dereham and L’Estrange families. Whereas the music by Lawes often has a bold and angular character, the compositions by Jenkins from this period are clearly intended as compensation for the unsettled and perilous circumstances prevalent during the troublesome civil war years.

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The Spirit of Gambo – John Jenkins – Late Chamber Music (2021) [Official Digital Download 24bit/88,2kHz]

The Spirit of Gambo – John Jenkins – Late Chamber Music (2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/88,2 kHz | Time – 01:05:27 minutes | 1,18 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Stockfisch Records

The chamber music on this recording was likely composed during the time Jenkins was living in the homes of the Dereham and L’Estrange families. Where Lawes ‘music is often edgy and bizarre in character, Jenkins’ compositions from this period are clearly intended to counterbalance the uncertain and risky circumstances that prevailed during the turbulent years of the Civil War. It’s not for nothing that Andrew Ashbee, the great English Jenkins connoisseur, titled his book “The Harmonious Musick of John Jenkins”.

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The Spirit of Gambo & Freek Borstlap – Consort Music for Viols in Five Parts (2019) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

The Spirit of Gambo & Freek Borstlap – Consort Music for Viols in Five Parts (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:06:37 minutes | 1,22 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Musica Ficta

In a long lifetime that extended from the late Renaissance era through the early Baroque, John Jenkins saw major changes in the development of English chamber music, though many of these were of his own devising. Particularly in the field of consort music, Jenkins was industrious and innovative, reviving the traditional In Nomine and elaborating the form of the fantasy for viol consort, composing them in four, five, and six parts. For this 2019 release on Musica Ficta, Freek Borstlap and his viol consort, The Spirit of Gambo, present the Fantasies in Five Parts, a set of 17 pieces presented in a scheme based on their tonality, rather than in numerical order. Listeners who may not know of Jenkins may find his work similar in mood and style to the later and better-known fantasies of Henry Purcell, who undoubtedly benefitted from Jenkins’ examples as much as from William Lawes’ consort music. The lyrical lines and polished textures of Jenkins’ fantasies were distinct from Lawes’ more assertive and energetic style, and the variety of expressions and range of ideas put his fantasies among the finest English works of the early 17th century. The sound of the recording is quite clear and focused, though the consort’s textures are softened by the resonant acoustics of the Doopsgezinde Kerk in Haarlem.

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