MICHAEL DRAKE This culinary feast on the theme of food and drink was a musical experience given by masters of style and precision.

MICHAEL DRAKE

This culinary feast on the theme of food and drink was a musical experience given by masters of style and precision.

From France came an early motet – four songs in one – and love songs by Machaut, beautifully placed by counter-tenor with the two tenors weaving an underlay and in whatever combination, voices were always immaculate in timing and cohesion — joyful in a carol of praise of the Boares Head from Fountains Abbey manuscript (the earlier renaissance banquet included pork), lively in the big Burgundy party piece and clucking merrily in Greiter's Egg Recipes.

In this final group Tutonic humour may not have been in best taste but the drunken contribution from Ludwig Senfl required a skill beyond mere singing. A real feast

t The Orlando Consort were performing at St Clement's Church.