The theorbo, a plucked instrument similar to a lute but with additional low strings and a long neck, emerged in Florence in the 1580s and was common in the 17th century before its use dwindled by the mid-18th century.
Performer Biography
Toby Carr, the theorbo player, was introduced to the lute while studying classical guitar at Trinity Laban and later became a professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Composition History
The song cycle "Battle Cry" by Owain Park, a contemporary composer, was originally commissioned by London's City Music Foundation, with its final movement "Marietta" being the first piece written.
Recording & Production
The recording of this album was supported by Angel Early Music, William Newsom, and Rogers Covey-Crump.
Performer Biography
Helen Charlston, the mezzo-soprano on this recording, was a BBC New Generation Artist from 2021-2023 and won the London Handel Singing Competition in 2018.
Album & Artwork
The album's program is designed as a complicated, female-led journey featuring ancient and mythological female characters like Boudicca, Dido, and Ariadne, alongside historical figures like Sappho and Barbara Strozzi.
Compositional Technique
The third movement of Owain Park's "Battle Cry," titled "A singer's ode to Sappho," is performed unaccompanied by the theorbo and uses a tone row, a compositional technique the composer had not used before.
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