There are some encounters whose impact you can’t guess until you’ve experienced them. I didn’t know the Ménestrel duo, made up of Kerry Bursey (vocals and lute) and Janelle Lucyk (vocals and violin), before this concert of just under an hour on the small and intimate Deslauriers stage in the village of Tremblant. The duo has been active since 2019 and has crossed Canada in its entirety (its “13 provinces and territories”) playing from its repertoire: ancient music, whether folk or baroque, Renaissance, and medieval. In Tremblant, the two artists, partly based in Montreal, launched their program with a few folk songs (À la claire fontaine, Greensleeves, la Louison, Au mois de mai, etc.) played with exquisite finesse and refinement, which allowed them to continue further with a few Baroque gems (magnificent Frescobaldi and tender Monteverdi in a duet version of Si dolce il tormento, an air of such beauty that it could make you cry with happiness). The champion of all categories of lyrical tears, John Dowland, a big musical star of the Shakespearean era, also benefited from sensitive and delicate interpretations by the two artists. Both voices are very beautiful, Bursey’s tenor is easy, but above all Lucyk’s angelic soprano, which can enchant even the most demanding music lovers. No doubt that your humble servant will be closely watching Ménestrel’s next activities, because he will not be able to forget, like all the spectators present, the impressive quality of the performance heard on this little Sunday midday at the Festival of Music.
Early Music / Traditional
