#brandon acker

The song that got me into Baroque music 🎶

One of my favorite English Baroque pieces. I used to sing it many years ago, but I think this is my new favorite performance. The lutenist weaves a while new realization of Purcell’s figured bass that’s super fresh, and the countertenot’s voice is smooth as glass, with ornamentation that kept me on my toes until the final resolution. And check out the text painting on “eas’d” and “drop;” cool stuff!! I think jazz fans would like this version as much as classical. 

Music for a while Shall all your cares beguile. Wond'ring how your pains were eas'd And disdaining to be pleas'd Till Alecto free the dead From their eternal bands, Till the snakes drop from her head, And the whip from out her hands. Music for a while Shall all your cares beguile.

--Music by Henry Purcell (1659-1695) text by John Dryden (1631-1700)

“The coolest LUTE I’ve ever seen!” - Brandon Acker’s archlute

Does a lute count as an unusual instrument? Well, this one’s an archlute, so maybe that helps it qualify for my “unusual instruments” tag. I really love the sympathetic resonance that the extra strings give. I’m very fond of sustained chords and reverb in music, so having that built in to the instrument is impressive to me. Like he says, it gives an echo like it’s in a cathedral.