Music / French Baroque Cantatas, Limestone Consort. At St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Manuka, October 25. Reviewed by LEN POWER

There may have been a storm raging outside, but the calming program of secular works by Nicolas Bernier and André Campra proved to be the perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon.

Limestone Consort’s program consisted of four baroque era works with love as a dominant theme. Greta Claringbould, soprano, Maartje Sevenster, alto, and Andrew Fysh, bass, were accompanied by Aaron Reichelt, oboe, Lauren Davis, violin, Clara Teniswood, cello, Shaun Ng, theorbo, and Ariana Odermatt, harpsichord. The three singers each introduced the works they were about to sing.

The first work, Coffee, showed an unexpectedly lighter side of composer, Nicolas Bernier (born 1664). His cantata extravagantly praised coffee as if it was a divine and seductive potion that even the Gods favoured. Greta Claringbould sang it delightfully with a nicely humorous edge.

André Campra (born 1660) composed the amusing cantata, The Quarrel Between Cupid and Hymen. Almost a mini-opera, this argument between Cupid, God of Love, and Hymen, God of Marriage, was given a colourful and dramatic performance by alto, Maartje Sevenster.

Andrew Fysh, bass, then presented Campra’s cantata, The Women, which detailed his exasperation with women and the wiles they employ to snare the opposite sex. Fysh gave it a fine, world-weary performance. His reflective singing of the passage, Ah, how wretched is a heart entangled in your chains, was particularly memorable.

The final work on the program was the Chorus of Mariners by Jean-Philippe Rameau (born 1683). Together, the three singers gave this invitation to dance and sing a sparkling performance.

The musical accompaniment throughout was excellent. It was a well-chosen and enjoyable program of cantatas with unexpected looks at love.

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