Emma Kirkby
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The Artistry of Emma Kirkby
Highlights from the original BIS recordings, featuring sacred and secular works by Handel, Bach, Boeddecker, Couperin, Lalande, Scarlatti, Ariosti and Amodei, and lute songs by Dowland, Robert Johnson, John Blow, Schütz, D'India, Boesset and others.

Jakob Lindberg, lute; Lars Ulrik Mortensen, harpsichord; Anthony Rooley, lute; Agnes Mellon, soprano; John Abberger, oboe; Thomas Georgi, viola d'amore; Lucas Harris, lute; Mime Yamahiro Brinkmann, 'cello; London Baroque; Royal Academy of Music Baroque Orchestra; Theatre of Early Music
11 February 2009
A Walking Boot and a Compilation

Emma's life was transformed a second time last week; the heavy plaster cast was replaced by something she describes as "like a Star Wars greave over an apple turnover." Still no weight is allowed on her right foot, but with this lighter boot she has found many more strategies for getting around the house.

She reports also how pleasant it is to view the "Big London Snow Show" from her warm kitchen!

Emma recently received an advance copy of her new BIS compilation box; quite a special one to her because

  1. she was consulted on this one from the start;
  2. it represents recent work, from 2000 onwards; and
  3. it was almost all recorded in Laenna church, most special of venues, and by BIS engineers, the best and most congenial imaginable - and all of it of course with ideal musical colleagues.

The set includes a previously unreleased recording of "Ach Gott und Herr" by Christoph Graupner. The fourth CD is devoted entirely to lute songs.

The picture on the cover is a new portrait by June Mendoza, who came several times for the sessions in summer of '08. Emma was fascinated to meet her and get some idea of the way she works, seemingly tapping into that same charged and finely balanced energy accessed by all live performers.