PURCELL, , Strike the Viol by Tim Mead, Les Musiciens de Saint Julien, François Lazarevitch

Les Musiciens de SaintJulien, guided by François Lazarevitchs virtuoso flute, have already led us along the roads of Ireland and Scotland, notably the High Road to Kilkenny (ALPHA 234), a great success in 2016. This time, they venture into England with an essentially secular programme devoted to Henry Purcell (165995), varying the mood by alternating between instrumental dances and songs performed by the English countertenor Tim Mead, including O Solitude and What power art thou. While Les Musiciens de SaintJulien have chosen these celebrated pieces for pleasure above all, with this English programme they also fill in a new piece in their jigsaw map of the United Kingdom. At the same time, they demonstrate the musical porosity of Ireland, Scotland and England and the atypical colours of the small string ensemble complemented by two flutes, a harp and harpsichord, lute continuo further underline the fact. The common thread, dear to Les Musiciens de SaintJulien, is that of folk music lying at the hear