Dexter Duffy-Howard and Jordi Savall

Rich, Dexter and I were privileged to see Jordi Savall and Hespèrion XXI again last night, this time as part of the York Early Music Festival, and broadcast live on BBC Radio 3’s Early Music Show.

Hespèrion XXI’s mesmerizing programme – Kalenda Maya, a dialogue of souls – began with the gorgeous piece, Alba, from thier 2006 collection, Orient-Occident. Right from the opening notes the six musicians created an amazing evocative soundscape.  The set of folias and dances from palaces and desert brought twelfth and thirteen century Spain’s fusion of music and cultures to life. Just for the evening I was there, in a past life, in the Castellón market surrounded by the hustle and bustle of people browsing stalls of spice, fruit, beautiful cloth; talking, smoking and looking up to the hills on the edge of the village. Dusty roads led us to verdant mountainsides, castles, banquets, dancers…