Adrian Green and Gillian Thompson at Lunchtime Live !

 Adrian Green and Gillian Thompson, Portsmouth Cathedral, June 4

Portsmouth Cathedral Choir went off on tour to France leaving lay clerk, Adrian Green, at home to provide Lunchtime Live! His programme entitled Fly swift, ye hours was made up with no more of a theme than it was things he enjoyed singing. There can hardly be a better principle to work on than that. The title came from one of three songs by Purcell that he began with in which his light tenor performed some baroque acrobatics over Gillian Thompson's stylish accompaniment.

It was great to have some popular Handel, who is nowhere near popular enough on lunchtime menus for my liking. The evergreen charm of Where'er you walk led to Adrian's downtime in which Gillian had the piano lid opened to give full voice to the Bosendorfer in The Harmonious Blacksmith amid the rest of a highly Handelian Suite, HWV 430. Whether it was due to unaccustomed seating position, something in the air or simply the music, the piano sounded very healthy indeed. It must have been largely due to Gillian's playing, though.

Schubert's Nachtstücke was characteristically dark and melodic. Orpheus with his lute was takingly atmospheric and entirely convinced me, who is not always persuaded by all Vaughan-Williams. 

This second half of the song programme was twentieth century and English with Michael Head, John Ireland and Roger Quilter pieces all, my internet research finds, available on Adrian's English Songbook album. And then the joyful and triumphant ending was the latter's Non nobis, Domine. Not having been sure I was going to be at this recital, recent events have been turning out for the best and I was glad the trend continued.