Quadriga Consort : Early christmas Music and Carols from the British Isles

   in Early Music Today (Dec, 2012)
This is a fascinating and bizarre disc comprising traditional carols from across the British Isles, performed in strongly accented English and, I’m informed, even more strongly accented Gaelic by an Austrian group using instruments of the high-baroque period (much later than most of the music and arguably as anachronistic as modern instruments; though this lot aren’t after authenticity – they’re far more creative than that). The arrangements veer worryingly close to the cheesiest kind of Celtic pop at times, yet the musicians are superb technicians of great integrity and the arrangements are genuinely creative. The Quadriga Consort is steeped in British music and performs it with evident affection. I can’t tell …