Review by Peter Collett
The sound of shawms entering the atmospheric Great Hall of Leicester's
Guildhall heralded the start of an hour of popular music from Renaissance
Europe.
Wylde's Noyse are, Deb Cooper, Elizabeth Gutteridge and Chris Gutteridge,
all members of the King's Lynn Waits. Traditionally every major town or
city would have had a Waits Band whose duties involved anything from waking
the inhabitants to greeting Civic dignitaries.
Playing a range of period instruments, singing, poetry reading and even a
little dancing, they gave a concert with obvious enjoyment and enthusiasm to
a small, but appreciative audience.
Instruments such as shawms and slide trumpets were meant as much for outdoor
use as indoor, more gentle sounds were offered in the form of a delicate
harp solo which transported us musically from the court of Henry VIII to the
Elizabethan period.
The music was simple but melodious. In the catchy Horses Bransle, the lysard
(a large cornet) was accompanied by countermelodies from bagpipes and
recorder, while the Scottish Bransle simply involved a violin and a drum
beat to produce an atmospheric North of the Border sound!
Songs of the day such as Watkins Ale and the Maid of Lynn were somewhat
risqué, Chris Gutteridge performed them musically but with just the right
touch of popular appeal.
A relaxed and enjoyable hour, perfect to follow those few "wee drams" at the
preceding whisky tasting!