John Ma and Marie Searles were at Wesley for a lunchtime concert and I never think other than I want to be there. They are infectious, inventive or at least exploratory with their programming, and the play great! (Excuse the poor grammar but it fits here). We were told that they wouldn't be playing the Bach (Sonata for viola da gamba, Gmaj BWV1027) which was in the printed program, not because they don't like Bach, but they don't love some Bach and this was one. Instead we had a Graupner Ciaccone and a Fumeron Rondo. Graupner with his connection to Bach and Fumeron as a rare female composer of the baroque days. Then on through EJ de la Guerre, another early French woman composer, associated with the court of Louis XIV, an early composer of cantatas and a gifted improviser, and Schop with a melody borrowed form John Dowland. Then the major work, a violin sonata by Michele Mascitti recounting the story of Psyche, a beautiful Royal daughter who Cupid falls in love with, despite the jealousy of his mother Venus. They wrote stories in those days! In the end, they split, reunite and marry. Odd or at least unexpected. But note the little known baroque composers, one work of which John had collected online from the Biblioteque Nationale de France. Baroque is like that, and John and Marie are local, trained, Euro-experienced, informative and inviting participants. Once again, they did not disappoint.
John Ma (violin) and Marie Searles (harpsichord) performed at Wesley.
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