Les Violons Du Roy

After raving about the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra, I decided it was time to revisit the Quebec City group - Les Violons Du Roy. This is certainly Canada's most famous youth orchestra. Their gig is to play early music using modern instruments but with baroque bows. The conductor, Bernard Labadie, is immensely imaginative in the ways he brings these works to life through these young musicians.

I have been fortunate enough to hear them live twice.

The first occasion was the Christmas season that they brought their version of the Messiah to Toronto - competing with the TSO Victorian warhorse version and the canonized rendition by the most famous baroque group in Canada - Tafelmusic (think music rendered in a bell jar - dead and sterile). What we heard was an energetic, impassioned performance of the work. It was almost like hearing it for the first time it was so fresh. Even the music critic for the Toronto Star was on his feet cheering at the end and wrote the next day that it was certainly the most authentic sounding and entertaining rendition that he had heard that season.

The second live hearing was a performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion. A work rarely heard anymore. Partly because of its musical challenges. Partly because of some unfortunate bigoted theology embedded in the lyrics. However it is a powerful piece when performed well. Les Violons Du Roy performed it exceedingly well. For once I heard it as a religious ceremony, not a concert piece. The experience was transporting. The soloists who were performing with the orchestra and choir were extraordinary that night. Pure gates of heaven beauty in their solo arias.

Tonight I am listening to the group's CD - a recording of Handel's Water Music. The setting was a royal barge party on the Thames River and you can feel that in this recording. A stately party to be sure, but the subtle energies are all there.

Delightful again.