Reinventing the lute song: countertenor Iestyn Davies & harpist Oliver Wass in John Dowland, Purcell, Nico Muhly & Britten at Hatfield House Music Festival

Iestyn Davies & Oliver Wass at Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival

Sweeter than Roses: Trabacci, Monteverdi, Frescobaldi, Cavalli, Purcell, Dowland, Muhly, Britten, Handel; Iestyn Davies, Oliver Wass; Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival in the Marble Hall
Reviewed 9 October 2026

Performing lute songs with harp accompaniment provides an imaginative solution to problems of scale, whilst Iestyn Davies and Oliver Wass’s recital parts Dowland with an imaginative mix from Purcell and Frescobaldi to Britten and Muhly

Countertenor Iestyn Davies and harpist Oliver Wass debuted duo at Wigmore Hall earlier this year and they are touring it to the USA, first stop Hawaii. But en route they stopped at Hatfield House Music Festival to perform in the house’s Marble Hall on Friday 9 October. We began with a harp solo by Giovanni Maria Trabacci followed by three Italian baroque arias, Monteverdi’s Laudate Dominum, Cavalli’s Delizie Contenti from Giasone and Frescobaldi’s Se l’aura spira, then Purcell’s Strike the viol from Come, ye sons of art. A sequence of seven songs by John Dowland was interspersed with instrumental movements by Bach. The second half began with Nico Muhly, three of his Four Traditional Songs written in 2011 and dedicated to Iestyn Davies. These were followed by Britten’s Suite for Harp, Op. 83 (from 1969) and the evening concluded with Purcell’s Sweeter than Roses and Evening Hymn, and Handel’s Sento Amor from Partenope.

Oliver Wass explained that Trabacci’s Toccata Seconda & Ligature per arpa is the first published piece written for harp (in fact for the Italian baroque triple harp). It came over as a free rhapsodic prelude, full of little delights. Monteverdi’s Laudate Dominum had rather a dance-like feel to it with the voice floating over a busy harp part which gave a different feel to the traditional continuo. Whilst some baroque performers include harp in the continuo line-up it is rare to hear the instrument as primary continuo instrument. Frescobaldi’s Se l’aura spira had a lovely swaying feel to the music with the accompaniment suiting the harp well. And the Italian group finished with Cavalli’s lovely Delizie contenti in a finely seductive performance.

Purcell’s Strike the viol created a different mood in this vigorous performance where, thanks to the harp having greater presence than the theorbo, Davies could be more demonstrative. Then as punctuation we had Wass playing the Allemande from Bach’s French Suite No. 3 BWV 814 with graceful, fluid elegance.

The first Dowland song Say love if ever thou didst find demonstrated what a difference having a harp rather than a lute makes. The harp as a more demonstrative instrument ensured that Davies’s vocal line and Wass’s intricate accompaniment were in balance, meaning we heard all Dowland’s instrumental detail whilst giving Davies greater freedom. Say love if ever thou didst find received a vigorous, vibrant performance and was then followed by the more inward Time stands still. In his introduction Davies linked the lines of the song ‘All other things shall change but she remains the same’ to Queen Elizabeth I. Melancholy, true, but the strong harp presence gave the song an interesting cast. Finally in this group, Can she excuse my wrongs returned to the vivid vigour of the first song. Bach’s Menuet followed on the harp, fast, engaging and busy.

Dowland’s My thoughts are wing’d with hopes was poised yet full of rhythmic felicity. Flow my tears really benefitted from the harp presence allowing full reign for Davies’s expressive line. Bach’s Sarabande on the harp made for an elegant pause point.

Also in his spoken introduction, Davies linked In darkness let me dwell to Dowland’s time working for King Christian of Denmark where the musicians worked in a darkened room hidden from the king! Here, the performance from Davies and Wass had great presence. Finally we had the flowing melancholy of Now, O now I needs must part.

The concert made me a great convert to the idea of performing lute songs on harp, rather solving the genre’s problems. Written for personal, intimate performance they are barely suited to the concert  hall in their original versions.

After the interval we had three of the Four Traditional Songs that Nico Muhly wrote for Iestyn Davies. Clearly Britten was a model here as Muhly preserves the folksong vocal lines, often featuring the voice unaccompanied. A brisk young lad was rather direct, Davies’s straight vocal line contrasting with the spiky harmonies. The cruel mother began unaccompanied, then Wass started a quiet buzzing on the harp. Davies’s dramatic vocals told a story which was echoed by the accompaniment. For The bitter withy, the harp only joined in the third verse, the accompaniment spare yet telling. 

Like the Ceremony of Carols and the folksongs with harp accompaniment, Britten’s Suite for harp was written for Ossian Ellis and like those other works, the harp part was edited by Ellis so it is distinctly Britten yet idiomatically written for harp,

The Overture began in exuberant, rhapsodic matter before becoming quieter yet rhythmic. This built with lively rhythms underlying the faster passages until the opening material returned. Toccata was fast with busy fingerwork rippling high in the harp’s register. Nocturne began quiet and sonorous with a rather wandering melody over the top, the whole developing into something rather sinister. The final Fugue was in fact rather rhythmic, bright and very jazzy.

We ended with a trio of English pieces. First Purcell’s Sweeter than roses in a free and vibrantly outgoing performance. Taken at a good speed, the combination of Davies’s voice and Wass’s harp made for a full sound. Then came Sento amor from Handel’s Partenope. A charming aria with Handel at his most melodic, along with some fine passagework from Davies. Then we finished with Purcell’s Evening Hymn which seemed to fit the partnership perfectly.

There was an encore, David’s O Lord whose mercies are numberless from Handel’s Saul which, of course, does have a prominent harp part in the original.