Phantasm (early music ensemble)

Locke: The Flat Consort for my cousin Kemble: Suite No. 5 in A minor
Locke: Suite No. 10 in D minor (from The Little Consort)
Locke: Suite No. 7 in G minor
Locke: Suite No. 9 in B flat major
Locke: The Flat Consort for my cousin Kemble: Suite No. 3 in D minor
Locke: Suite No. 8 in A minor
Locke: Suite No. 6 in F Major (from the Little Consort)
Locke: The Flat Consort for my cousin Kemble: Suite No. 4 in B flat major

In this recording, the expert violists of Phantasm return to the unconventional yet brilliant polyphonist Matthew Locke. Under the guidance of Laurence Dreyfus, Phantasm presents the second half of Locke's Little Consort, composed for treble, tenor and bass viol, and pairs it with three suites from the Flat Consort for my cousin Kemble whose unusual grouping comprises treble and two bass viols. Both sets are accompanied by a chordal bass instrument, in this instance the leading theorbo player Elizabeth Kenny. Locke's experimental, not to say libertarian, impulse pervades the works, and yet the composer remains grounded in the traditional ethos of strict counterpoint, standing as one of the last champions of the once treasured great polyphonic tradition. More than 400 years later, his music remains as fresh as ever.

"This is a bold and beautiful recording of bold and beautiful music." - Gramophone Magazine, March 2024