Harmonia Mundi: Membra Jesu Nostri

St Peter’s Church, Partick, Glasgow, 28/6/26

Ensemble Harmonia Mundi: Marco Di Chio (conductor), Sian Winstanley, Elena Bertuzzi (sopranos); Giovanna Dissera Bragandin (alto), Thomas Althorne (tenor), Enrico Totola (bass); Terez Korondi, Anne Morgan (violins), Marie Connell (cello), Michael Larkin (organ)

Ensemble Harmonia Mundi is a new musical initiative based in Glasgow, bringing together both local and international performers.  It was founded with the aim of promoting accessible concerts of Classical, Baroque and Renaissance music throughout Scotland.  On the afternoon of 28th June, in the colourful bright airy surroundings of recently renovated St Peter’s RC Church in Partick, the Ensemble, comprising 5 vocalists, 4 instrumentalists and a conductor, performed Dietrich Buxtehude’s 1680 cycle of 7 cantatas, ‘Membra Jesu Nostri’, whose full title, ‘Membra Jesu nostri patientis sanctissima’, translates from Latin as “Limbs Most Holy of Our Suffering Jesus”.  Its subtitle, ‘Humillima totius cordis devotio’, meaning “The most humble devotion of a whole heart” shows that, unlike the grand public drama found in Bach’s Passions, these cantatas are based on the text of a medieval poem, ‘Salve mundi salutare’, a more individual, personal, intimate and contemplative meditation.  Progressing from the Earth towards Heaven, the 7 cantatas focus in turn on the feet, the knees, the hands, the side, the breast, the heart and the face of the crucified Christ, acknowledging the suffering and the sacrifice, exploring the symbolism, and resolving to be worthy of the salvation that has been won.  The cantatas share formal shape, each beginning with a Sonata (an instrumental introduction), followed by a tutti Cantata (with usually all 5 voices and all 4 instruments), which flanks a set of 3 Arias (each with 1 or 3 of the 5 voices and continuo).  The whole work takes about an hour to perform.

Before the performance, the Parish Priest, Monsignor Paul Murray, welcomed the audience to what he described as a threefold celebration.  Firstly, there was the celebration of the completion of the renovation of the church at a cost of £2 million.  Secondly, the date was the Sunday closest to 29th June 2026, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, the Feast Day of the Parish.  Finally, the concert was a celebration of culture and beauty.  Indeed.

The instrumentalists comprised violinists Terez Korondi (from the first violins of the Orchestra of Scottish Opera) and Anne Morgan (semi-professional multi-genre/fusion musician), plus cellist Marie Connell (also from Scottish Opera) as one half of the continuo.  The other ‘half’, continuo organ, was synthesised on a good quality electronic keyboard played by Michael Larkin (a name I usually associate with the violins of Scottish Opera).  Glasgow-based Italian countertenor and musicologist Marco Di Chio conducted.

Welsh soprano (also a vocal coach, vocal rehabilitation therapist, and Musical Director of the Helensburgh Dorian Choir) Siân Winstanley took the First Soprano line.  Her guest appearances with the City of Glasgow Chorus in ‘The Messiah’ and Vivaldi’s ‘Gloria’ have been excellent and praiseworthy.  She brought the same exquisite shaping of note and phrase to the less dramatic, but commensurately more emotionally direct Buxtehude.  Particular highlights were the sprightly aria ‘Salve latus salvatoris’ in the 4th Cantata, and the darker ‘Summi regis cor, aveto’ in the 6th.  The blending with Second Soprano and Bass in the concluding Concerto of the same dark cantata was superb.

Italian soprano and recording artist specialising in Early Music, Elena Bertuzzi, has worked with illustrious names like Ton Koopman, Sigiswald Kuijken and Peter Phillips.  In a first live hearing for me, she brought both polished precision and poignantly expressive clarity to the Second Soprano line, with flawless (if extremely Italianate) Latin diction.  Particular highlights were the aria ‘Clavos pedum, plagas duras’ in the 1st Cantata, an utterly delicious trill at the end of the concluding Concerto of the 2nd, the sprightly aria ‘Hora mortis meus flatus’ in the 4th, and the captivatingly expressive aria ‘Per medullam cordis mei’ in the 6th.  Easier to say, perhaps, that her whole performance was a highlight.

Venetian contralto (also a flautist and Baroque scholar, teacher and recording artist) Giovanna Dissera Bragandin brought a warm, richly expressive tone to the Alto line, crucially anchoring the middle line of Buxtehude’s harmony and blending contrapuntally to perfection in the Concerti, but with opportunities for poignant expressiveness in a number of Arias.  The first of these, ‘Quid sum tibi responsurus?’ in the 2nd Cantata, was stunning and had me waiting expectantly for more.  The somewhat gory Aria with tenor and bass in the 3rd Cantata, ‘In cruore tuo lotum’ was equally spellbinding.  Another nice con moto Aria arrived in the 5th Cantata, ‘Salve, salus mea, Deus’.  The 7th Cantata is bursting with goodies for the Alto line, who sings throughout, and it was a feast.  Fabulous.

Glasgow-based tenor (and software developer) Thomas Althorne is a newcomer to the music of Buxtehude, having previously focussed on late Baroque, notably as a soloist with the Glasgow Bach Cantata Project. This was my first encounter with a very pleasing tenor voice, first shining in the 2nd Cantata with the Aria ‘Salve Jesu, rex sanctorum’ and then in the 5th with ‘Pectus mihi confer mundum’.  Otherwise, the tenor delivers the harmonically all-important middle line of the ATB arias, as well as an equal participant in the counterpoint.  Something of the joy of discovery was communicated in his performance.

Back to Italy for the Bass line.  A graduate of the same Verona conservatoire as Elena Bertuzzi, Enrico Totola’s studies continue to absorb eclectic influences as his performing career develops.  He brings a satisfying mix of precision, clarity and expressiveness to his performance, with the added boon of very pleasing Latin diction.  Buxtehude is generous with the goodies awarded to the bass line, starting with the signature Aria ‘Salve mundi salutare’ in the 1st Cantata.  Other standout Arias include ‘Ave, verum templum Dei’ in the 5th Cantata and ‘Viva cordis voce clamo’ in the 6th.  Not forgetting the ATB areas already mentioned and a very pleasing SSB Aria, ‘Ut te quaeram mente pura’, in the 2nd Cantata.  Enrico and violinist Anne were the only two of the 10 musicians favouring digital tablet over sheet music.

This concert combined elements of exploration, discovery, advocacy and pilgrimage, for performers and audience alike.  It is impossible not to mention how most people’s first encounter with the name Buxtehude is as the destination of 20-year old J.S. Bach’s over 250-mile quasi pilgrimage in the winter of 1705 on foot  from Arnstadt to Lübeck to study under and hear the legendary organist Dietrich Buxtehude perform his famed Advent Abendmusiken concerts at the Marienkirche.  This concert set out to show us why Bach was compelled to make the journey, and in that it succeeded admirably.  Bringing ‘Membra’ to performance has clearly been a journey of exploration and discovery for the performers, while the performance of a rarely-performed work is revelatory and kindles the flame of discovery for the audience,  Convincing an audience of the value of a masterpiece is a mission of advocacy, a mission admirably accomplished.  Then there is the pleasing contrast with Bach’s huge devotional pieces, which use familiar Lutheran chorale tunes to muster the communal fervour of a whole congregation.  Buxtehude works on a more personal scale, drawing the faithful to salvation one sinner at a time.  ‘Membra’ is undoubtedly a gem.  Finally, the role of the beautiful venue in the whole experience should not be underestimated; it contributed hugely to making the concert a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  Full marks from me.