Album

Vocalist Emily van Evera has participated in the making of many early music recordings over the years, mainly as a performer within a group, among them Taverner Consort, Hilliard Ensemble, Tragicomedia, Sequentia, and Gothic Voices. The most famous, and notorious, of van Evera's associations is her vocal portrayal of Hildegard von Bingen as set to an electro-disco backdrop for the EMI Angel album Vision. It sold boatloads of units, but did not help solidify van Evera's reputation. Avie's My Lady Rich appears to be the first instance in van Evera's long career where her name appears above the title. Unlike Vision, a project with a clear commercial purpose, My Lady Rich is a straight-ahead collection of Elizabethan songs, choruses, and instrumental music. Van Evera is here again channeling the spirit of a long-departed feminine singer and icon, in this instance Lady Penelope Rich. Whether one buys into the idea of this kind of musical séance is decidedly up to the listener, but the research that went into it and the number of pieces found relating to Lady Rich is impressive in itself.

Unlike Hildegard, Lady Rich did not compose music, but English composers and lyricists of her day swarmed around her, inspired by her strong character and beauty and intrigued by her tempestuous personal life. Lady Rich is also reputed to have been quite a singer herself, and as such is a voice that we cannot hear as she lived and died long before recording, much as did Susanna Cibber, Jenny Lind, Francesca Cuzzoni, and countless others. Van Evera is in excellent voice, and her main collaborator in this project, lutenist Christopher Morrongiello, likewise turns in a stellar performance, but not all the sailing is smooth. After getting off to a terrific start, My Lady Rich bogs down badly at the Byrd piece on track five; it is the longest work on the disc and probably would be better placed somewhere toward the end of the second or third. My Lady Rich does recover, and is at its best when playing through long strings of short pieces. Emily van Evera is such a fine singer that after awhile one won't really care who wrote what, happy just to luxuriate in van Evera's singing and the fine playing of the all-star instrumental support found on My Lady Rich. A very good initial outing for an artist whose debut has been long in coming.

© Uncle Dave Lewis, All Music Guide

CD 1
Anonymous Composer How Should I Your True Love Know Work Emily Van Evera Soprano
1	How Should I Your True Love Know	0:29			$0.99
Robert Jones Composer O he is gone Work Christopher Morrongiello Lute, Emily Van Evera Soprano, Susanna Pell Viol
2	O he is gone	2:28			$0.99
Robert Jones Composer And Is It Night? Work Christopher Morrongiello Lute, Emily Van Evera Soprano, Susanna Pell Viol
3	And Is It Night?	3:50			$0.99
John Dowland Composer Mr. Dowland's Midnight, Almain, P.99 Work Christopher Morrongiello Lute, Emily Van Evera Soprano
4	Mr. Dowland's Midnight, Almain, P.99	1:04			$0.99
William Byrd Composer Weeping full sore Work Caroline Trevor Alto, John Potter Tenor, Emily Van Evera Soprano, Daniel Norman Tenor, Michael Dore Bass
5	Weeping full sore	6:30			$0.99
John Dowland Composer Lady Rich's Galliard ('Dowland's Bells'), P.43a Work Christopher Morrongiello Lute, Emily Van Evera Soprano
6	Lady Rich's Galliard ('Dowland's Bells'), P.43a	1:56			$0.99
Anonymous, English Composer Hampton Court Masque (British Library, Add. MS. 10444) Work Christopher Morrongiello Lute, Lynda Sayce Bandora, Emily Van Evera Soprano, Susanne Heinrich Viol, Jacob Heringman Cittern
7	Hampton Court Masque (British Library, Add. MS. 10444)	2:06			$0.99
John Dowland Composer 21.Come when I call Work Christopher Morrongiello Lute, John Potter Tenor, Caroline Trevor Alto, Michael Dore Bass, Daniel Norman Tenor, Emily Van Evera Soprano, Richard Campbell Viol, Lynda Sayce Lute (Bass), Reiko Ichise Viol, Asako Morikawa Viol
8	21.Come when I call	1:53			$0.99
Charles Tessier Composer Casche toy, celeste soleil Work Christopher Morrongiello Lute, Emily Van Evera Soprano
9	Casche toy, celeste soleil	3:17			$0.99
Charles Tessier Composer Au joli bois Work Christopher Morrongiello Lute, Emily Van Evera Soprano, Susanna Pell Viol
10	Au joli bois	1:57			$0.99
Anonymous Composer Vuestros ojos tienen d'amor Work Christopher Morrongiello Lute, Emily Van Evera Soprano, Susanna Pell Viol
11	Vuestros ojos tienen d'amor	1:18			$0.99
Charles Tessier Composer Reveillez vous, belle Cattin Work Christopher Morrongiello Lute, John Potter Tenor, Michael Dore Bass, Daniel Norman Tenor, Emily Van Evera Soprano, Richard Campbell Viol, Reiko Ichise Viol, Asako Morikawa Viol, Susanna Pell Viol
12	Reveillez vous, belle Cattin	2:35			$0.99
Anonymous, English Composer Fitzwilliam Virginal Book Work Lucy Carolan Virginal, Emily Van Evera Soprano
13	1.Corranto Lady Riche	1:22			$0.99
William Byrd Composer In fields abroad Work Reiko Ichise Viol, Emily Van Evera Soprano, Asako Morikawa Viol, Susanna Pell Viol, Richard Campbell Viol
14	In fields abroad	4:33			$0.99
English Traditional Composer My little sweet darling, lullaby Work Christopher Morrongiello Lute, Emily Van Evera Soprano
15	My little sweet darling, lullaby	1:19			$0.99
Anonymous, English Composer Margaret Board Lute Book Work Christopher Morrongiello Lute, Emily Van Evera Soprano
16	1.A la volta Mistress Lettice Rich	0:35			$0.99
John Bartlet Composer Surcharged with discontent Work Christopher Morrongiello Lute, Emily Van Evera Soprano, Susanne Heinrich Viol
17	Surcharged with discontent	1:19			$0.99
John Bartlet Composer The thrush did pipe full clear Work Christopher Morrongiello Lute, Emily Van Evera Soprano, Susanne Heinrich Viol
18	The thrush did pipe full clear	3:40			$0.99
John Bartlet Composer Then Hesperus on high Work Christopher Morrongiello Lute, Emily Van Evera Soprano, Susanne Heinrich Viol
19	Then Hesperus on high	1:33			$0.99
Anonymous, English Composer Sweet stay awhile (British Library Add. MS 29481) Work Christopher Morrongiello Lute, Emily Van Evera Soprano, Susanna Pell Viol
20	Sweet stay awhile (British Library Add. MS 29481)	1:46			$0.99
Anonymous, Jane Pickeringe's Lute Book Composer A toy Work Christopher Morrongiello Lute, Emily Van Evera Soprano
21	A toy	1:05			$0.99
Anonymous, English Composer He is dead and gone, lady Work Emily Van Evera Soprano
22	He is dead and gone, lady	0:33			$0.99
Antony Holborne Composer Funeralles Work Reiko Ichise Viol, Emily Van Evera Soprano, Asako Morikawa Viol, Susanna Pell Viol, Richard Campbell Viol, Susanne Heinrich Viol
23	Funeralles	4:22			$0.99
Giovanni Coprario Composer Funeral Teares Work 22:53 Caroline Trevor Alto, Christopher Morrongiello Lute, Emily Van Evera Soprano, Daniel Norman Tenor, Susanna Pell Viol
24	1.Oft thou hast	2:49			$0.99
25	2.O sweet flower	2:50			$0.99
26	3.O th'unsure hopes of men	2:29			$0.99
27	4.In darkness let me dwell	5:26			$0.99
28	5.My joy is dead	4:17			$0.99
29	6.Deceitful fancy	2:30			$0.99
30	7.Foe of mankind	2:32			$0.99