Tickets to see Scottish-grown chamber orchestra Ludus Baroque at Canongate Kirk are now bought by many as a matter of ritual, so strong is the group’s popularity and reputation for bringing wonderful music to the famed 17th century church. It’s easy to see why. Ludus Baroque’s orchestral and choral work is of a magnificent standard and anyone who has the pleasure of seeing them perform will not be disappointed.
After a spine-tingling solo from countertenor Tim Mead, a gentleman sat a few rows away proclaimed, ‘Christ, that was beautiful. I was taken away to another place.’ It was a sentiment shared by the entire audience: Ludus Baroque’s performance of Handel’s often-overlooked oratorio ‘The Triumph of Time and Truth’ is stunningly beautiful and mesmerising. It only continues to reinforce the high esteem in which director Richard Neville-Towle’s collective are held.
Mead was a particularly standout performer but that is not to say that his fellow singers were weak or below par. The quintet of soloists made for a breathtaking central core and each one of them brought a drama and passion to their performance that, as the gentleman described, was able to transport us to another place.
