Recordings

On this inviting early music project, shameless revelry rubs up against reverence and formal austerity. A distinct point of view is communicated: This is not simply a mission of authenticity. The Harp Consort’s sporting and moving interpretation of the 13th century musical play on the story of Daniel--viewed as a prototypical medieval “opera”--manages a keen balance of things beatific and secular, alternating between somber beauty and rustic energy.

In so doing, the group, led by Andrew Lawrence-King, emphasizes the notion that there’s plenty of vim lurking in the world of early music, which leaves margin for improvisation and individualism. This unusual work, believed to have been performed in the Beauvais Cathedral, takes its text from biblical tales of the prophet Daniel, triumphing over corruption and the lion’s den. Along the narrative path, the various goings-on that also form the story of Walton’s “Belshazzar’s Feast” allow for a diverse mix of sounds and spirits.

In the tradition of such plays, secular instruments are allowed into the liturgical domain. At the center are the group’s uniformly strong vocalists, including Douglas Nasrawi as Daniel, who are often unaccompanied. They are sometimes bolstered by instrumental forces that include such familiar instruments as the organ, as well as the less familiar whining shawm, drone pipes, medieval lute and medieval harp.

There’s a party going on, in other words, in addition to the more spiritual matters at hand. That blend makes for a rich listening experience.

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