Fretwork

The outstandingly accomplished Fretwork chose two of Purcell’s Fantasias – in their first-heard form, for viol consort – alongside others by near contemporaries Gibbons, Jenkins and Byrd. Like the sinfonietta, Fretwork interspersed fantasia-themed pieces with recent compositions.

The most astonishing aspect was how their old instruments transcended the centuries to perform these present-day pieces.

For example, a new commission for this festival – Domenico’s Chapel, written by John Maxwell Geddes, which takes inspiration from the much-loved Italian Chapel on Lamb Holm – was a highly effective and moving piece.

It used the combination of different-sized viols to build psychological tension to reflect the emotions of the Second World War prisoners, far from home, who built the chapel.

The Scotsman