The musical program on this release by soprano
Rachel Redmond
and the
Irish Baroque Orchestra
, with conductor
Peter Whelan
, is hypothetical, and even the biographical information about "Ireland's Black Syren," Rachel Baptist, is sketchy. The annotations by
Michael Lee
here contain various historical sidelights, including the fact that between 1,000 and 3,000 African slaves were taken to Ireland and that they did not necessarily come from the same places as those seized by the British. Baptist may have been a modified form of the French name Baptiste. Baptist was active in Dublin and then for a time in London between the early 1750s and the early 1770s. If any source contains solid evidence of her repertory, it isn't mentioned here; instead, what is offered is music she might have performed, together with relevant instrumental music. It seems like a slender concept, but it is redeemed by the singing of
Redmond
, who is new on the scene and has a delightful voice that contains a good deal of vibrato yet remains agile and light. She is very strong in the
Handel
arias here, and she excels in some unusual items. One is by
, the little-known hunt cantata
Alla Caccia, HWV 79
, also known as
Diana cacciatrice
. This is an early work from
's Italian period, with lots of horn work that requires a bright, brilliant soprano to stand up to it, and
leans convincingly into the music. There are also pieces by the little-known
Niccolò Pasquali
, an Italian who landed in Dublin, and these are worth revival.
Whelan
balance well with
, stepping forward in lively three-movement instrumental overtures by
and
Pasquali
. The church sound is not right for this theatrical music, but the album is well worth hearing for the reminder that there were (and are) people of African descent in Ireland and, most of all, for a strong outing from an exciting young soprano. ~ James Manheim