Review: BBC PROMS: LATE NIGHT BAROQUE, Royal Albert Hall

With artificial intelligence doing its best to inveigle its way into the arts, there’s no better antidote than a late night Prom showcasing some of the best loved songs from the late Renaissance and Baroque eras. Thomas Dunford’s Jupiter Ensemble was formed in 2018, and could not be more well placed to bring these compositions to life, as they are committed to performing both rarities and well-known numbers from across the breadth of history. Full of enthusiasm and with lute in hand, Dunford quickly established himself as our musical guide for the evening.

Although a relatively large audience assembled in the Royal Albert Hall for the event, with it having a 10.15pm start it was a more select crowd, packing out the stalls seating and pit area for the most part. I did feel for some unfortunate patrons who were dotted around the circle seating and gallery standing; it really would make more sense to keep those upper sections closed, or to at least allow the few who gather up there to move closer to the action. Particularly with a concert like last night which was frequently quite quiet in nature - the ensemble did occasionally get swallowed up in the vastness of the auditorium.

It was also a difficult one to plan for, as the estimated end time was stated as 11.30pm despite the running time of the advertised programme coming to around 50 minutes. I think this would have been the sweet spot for a concert starting so late, with tiredness and anxiety over transport starting to take hold later on.

The additional running time came from performances of two original compositions, plus a Baroque-adjacent cover of “Hey Jude” to round off the night. My personal preference would have been to stick to Dowland and Purcell’s era for the entirety of the concert, rather than veer off into anything else - that feels more appropriate for a daytime Prom when you have a bit more time to play with. The new songs definitely demonstrated the musical link between then and now, and how this can be honoured in modern songwriting, but perhaps this wasn’t quite the occasion for it.

Jupiter Ensemble consists of Dunford on lute, joined by two violins, a viola, a cello, a double bass, percussion, and harpsichord or organ; for the original numbers they were joined by a saxophone, a trumpet, and drums. Tenor Laurence Kilsby was on hand for singing duty, occasionally accompanied by other members of the ensemble. I think you can anticipate the kind of sound this group would make, playing out these beautiful songs of love and melancholy.

Dowland’s “Lachrimae antiquae” was particularly affecting in its intimacy, as the singer implores “Flow, my tears, fall from your springs! Exiled for ever, let me mourn” - these are tears of abject despair, and the combination of lute and vocals heightens this emotion. “An Evening Hymn” by Purcell seemed like an apt song on which to end, with the singer seeking both physical and spiritual rest; “Halleluia” after “Halleluia” ringing out around the Royal Albert Hall auditorium definitely captured the feeling of the song.

Another spine-tingling moment came courtesy of the first of the two new compositions. Dunford split the crowd into four and gave us all parts to sing; you never really expect much from audience participation, so for this group to follow direction and close out the performance with a gorgeous harmony and fade was nothing short of spectacular.

This event served as an absolutely wondrous introduction to the works of John Dowland and Henry Purcell, and the beauty of the Proms is that anyone can go back and listen to the radio broadcast if it was past their bedtime. I highly recommend that you do - take advantage of a world class ensemble doing what they do best, in one of the most famous concert venues in the world. The Proms delivers once again.

The BBC Proms run at the Royal Albert Hall until 12 September

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