Classical review: Flyting, Berwick-Upon-Tweed

WRITTEN to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Flodden, Matthew Rooke’s Flyting, premiered at Berwick’s Maltings Theatre on Monday evening, was not music overtly about warring nations.

Matthew Rooke, Artistic Director of The Maltings Theatre. Picture: Johnston Press

Flyting

Maltings Theatre, Berwick-Upon-Tweed

* * * *

There may have been a battle drum to start, but what enfolded was a rich musical tapestry weaving tales about Scotland that stretched back half a millennium to Flodden field and James IV, who lost his life there. Did we know James’s royal entourage included African drummers, dancers and “blak mayds” for his queen? No, we didn’t, but the influence of African music was strongly felt throughout the 13 movements of Rooke’s new piece.

This was a real Scottish history lesson, which not only took in the Renaissance, but also Mungo Park’s late 18th-century expedition to Africa, the black slave Joseph Knight who settled in Dundee and the Church of Scotland’s mission in Malawi. The diversity of styles and kaleidoscope of sounds cohered surprisingly well to make a satisfying whole.

Combining musicians from classical and traditional backgrounds, the music often had a theatrical flair and alternated between careful scoring for the talented forces Rooke put together. Despite the seriousness of the subject matter, it was easy listening, sometimes verging on the saccharine, and more effective in the jazz-inspired sections. Singers Donald Maxwell and Gweneth-Ann Jeffers were not favoured by the acoustic but the young string players of NYOS Futures played with stylish determination.