The Austrian ensemble Quadriga Consort has enthralled an international audience with old popular music from the British Isles for many years and is well-known for its exciting appearances that are almost like pop concerts. The songs and new arrangements of often scantily recorded melodies, interpreted under the direction of Nikolaus Newerkla, deal with love and yearning, joy and melancholy and are characterized by apparent antitheses. They are plain yet complex, simple but far from any banality, and sensual but never trashy.

This is how the ‘Early Music Band’ equipped with instruments such as recorders, descant viol, tenor viol, Baroque cello, percussion and harpsichord with the South African-born singer Elisabeth Kaplan presents a live appearance with its most successful pieces on this CD.

Quadriga Consort, an Austrian ensemble of seven, conducted by harpsichordist Nikolaus Newerkla, has excelled in international competitions and performs at festivals throughout Europe and the USA. Together with South African-born singer Elisabeth Kaplan, Quadriga developed their speciality of playing early popular music from the British Isles. The ‘Early Music Band’, with its unchanging line-up of musicians, is well-known for electrifying performances that are reminiscent of pop concerts.

One of the unmistakable hallmarks of the ensemble is that the airs and songs, which were originally passed on as single line melodies, are performed in new arrangements for historical instruments. Some of the pieces – (re)discovered in old collections – have now been recorded for the first time since their origin more than 300 years ago. Quadriga is the only ensemble of the period performance movement to have songs in Gaelic in its repertoire.

Award-winning CD recordings testify to its innovative programmes, and Nikolaus Newerkla’s arrangements, which are always situated somewhere between historical art music, pop and traditional music, have also partly been published.

Track Listing:
1. John Barleycorn (Scotland)
2. James Betagh / James Betagh Jig (Turlough O’Carolan, 1670-1738, Ireland)
3. Chì mi na mòr-bheanna (Scotland)
4. On a Cold Winter’s Day (Ireland)
5. Hamish The Carpenter / There Cam a Young Man / Hills of Glenorchy / Jenny Nettles (Scotland)
6. The Willow Tree (England)
7. ‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime (France/Canada)
8. The Maid Who Sold Her Barley (England)
9. Carolan’s Cup / The Two William Davises (Turlough O’Carolan, Ireland)
10. Miss Noble (Turlough O’Carolan, Ireland)
11. Pulling the Sea-Dulse (Ireland)
12. Boyne Water / Morrison Jig (Ireland)
13. Fine Flowers In The Valley (Scotland)
14. Captain James (England)
15. Puirt a beul – Mouthmusic (Scotland)
16. Niel Gow’s Lament for the Death of His Second Wife (Niel Gow, 1727-1807, Scotland)
17. The Saucy Sailor (England)
18. The Wraggle-Taggle Gypsies, O! (England/Scotland)
19. The Drunken Sailor (England/Scotland)
20. The Cliffs of Doneen (Ireland)