20160124-Devon Baroque-97-Edit

The Devon Baroque Orchestra

This has been a lovely little project.  The Devon Baroque are one of only two professional orchestras in the South West.  They play instruments from the Baroque era (some of them are incredible shapes!) and the musicians are wonderfully talented – true to their art and utterly dedicated.

The concert took place in the magnificent Elizabethan hall that is Dartington Hall, just outside Totnes.  Such an appropriate location.

Setting up to rehearse in the Great Hall
Setting up to rehearse in the Great Hall

Like all these sorts of commissions, the lighting is often terrible (for photographers).  Using natural light is fine, and there are lovely large windows in the hall, but there are also lights for the stage – green and red at the same time makes for an interesting lighting scenario!  I did use flash, but only for the group shot.  As it happened we had to do the group shot indoors – despite the fact that the Hall is in beautiful surroundings and I have chosen the perfect place for the group shot to happen.  When I announced we were going outside, Persephone, the Orchestra leader, quickly announced that baroque instruments with gut strings must not be taken outside into a different humidity.  So I quickly rearranged to take the group shot just of the stage, but used flash to counter the stage lights.

The "indoor" shot for the group
The “indoor” shot for the group
David tuning the Harpsichord
Andrew tuning the Harpsichord
No idea what it's called, but it looked complicated!
No idea what it’s called, but it looked complicated!
Wonderful setting!
Wonderful setting!
The Bass
The Bass

I had an opportunity for some portraits too.  A few minutes between rehearsals and performance…

Cello
Cello
Violin (or viola?)
Violin (or viola?)
..and the incredible Persephone, the leader
..and the incredible Persephone, the leader
Difficult to "click" during the performance...discretion being the keyword!
Difficult to “click” during the performance…discretion being the keyword!
The finale and bows....
The finale and bows….
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