Tim Thurston's music choices for the week of April 27th

MONDAY - LUDWIG SENFL - MISSA PASCHALE  - from the court of the Emperor Maximilian C1520. One of the many minor masters - well worth following up.
EVENING JAZZ - WOODY HERMAN'S HERD - A great big band - very much for the Dancing Years of Jazz but some fine soloists.

TUESDAY - Michael Praetorius is renowned for his unique compositions for Renaissance instruments - Syntagma Musicum, but he also wrote some splendid large scale motets for choirs and instruments in the Venetian style - Alleluia, Christ ist Erstanden is a fine example.
EVENING JAZZ - Barry Guy is the Renaissance man of today's music, a composer, Period Double-Bass player - he recorded with Roger Norrington the first period instrument recording of the Beethoven Symphonies and has made many wonderful recordings with his partner violinist Maya Homburger - they lived in Ireland for many years. Principally his fame rests as the most exciting and innovative free jazz bassist - especially with Evan Parker.

WEDNESDAY - Palestrina's Masses and Motets are considered as fine as any renaissance composer and still enrich today's liturgies. Recordings by The Sixteen and by Westminster Cathedral are particularly fine.
EVENING JAZZ - I've recommended some fine tenor players in today's improvised music. Miguel Zenon plays alto and has given me much pleasure - he is Puerto Rican and has won many awards - Grammies etc.

THURSDAY - CHANT MISERICORDIA DOMINI. This is the Introit for this Sunday in Eastertide, sometimes referred to as Misericordia Sunday.
EVENING JAZZ - DAVE DOUGLAS is one of my favourite contemporary trumpeters. I saw him play a superb set at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival. He has made many recordings and always has something interesting and different to say.

FRIDAY - DIETRICH BUXTEHUDE - also Diderik - he is often considered Danish. He became the most renowned organist of his time in the Marienkirche in Lubeck and in 1705 J.S.Bach walked the 200km from Arnstadt to Lubeck to hear the Master. His organ compositions are wonderful but I've had huge pleasure from his Cantatas. The recording by Vox Luminis is an absolute winner (as is everything they do!!).
EVENING JAZZ  - ERROL GARNER - of course nostalgia plays a large part in one's listening pleasure and Garner's Concert by the Sea from 1955 was one of my most precious possessions when I came to Dublin 57 years ago. The LP was worn out - I will play the CD with much joy and happy memories of my schoolday discoveries of this wonderful music.

SATURDAY  - I make no apologies returning once again to William Byrd. I find myself constantly drawn to his large section in my library - his Easter motets - Pascha and Christus Resurgens express the Easter Joy brilliantly.
EVENING JAZZ . My last jazz series for Lyric FM was called "In Her Own Sweet Way" celebrating female jazz musicians - not vocalists. There are so many now - on both sides of the Atlantic. The pianist I enjoy most is New Yorker Kris Davis - she is a unique jazz voice - pretty close to the edge but she can swing and has an amazing technique.

SUNDAY - I've always loved BACH's solo Lute music. There isn't much of it though the 'cello Suites are often played in transcription. It has become very fashionable to use the lute as a continuo instrument in Baroque Music. It has a unique and very lovely sound - it was referred to as the King of Instruments in Renaissance times - what a contrast to the organ!!  It is astonishingly light - you can hold it on a little finger and the finest music is gentle and intimate.  Hopkinson Smith, Jacob Lindberg and Nigel North are stars of the instrument.
EVENING JAZZ - After a gentle morning a contrast would be Eric Dolphy. He built on the exquisite language of Charlie Parker with his own eccentric blowing - and introduced me to the pleasures of the bass clarinet - now popular with a lot of single reed players.