Daylesford audiences are in for a musical treat on Saturday, July 5, when early music specialists Unholy Rackett join forces with Ensemble 642 for a unique concert of rarely heard 17th-century repertoire. The performance, starting at 2.30pm at Christ Church, will highlight the curtal, a family of instruments unfamiliar to most modern ears and the Renaissance ancestor of the bassoon.
Known in Germany as the dulcian, the curtal was a favourite of early baroque composers. Despite its odd appearance and construction—it’s carved from a single block of wood with a conical bore folded in half inside the body—the curtal produces a warm, expressive, nutty tone. The Daylesford concert will be the first in Australia to feature all six sizes of the curtal family, from soprano to octave bass.
Unholy Rackett was co-founded by Brock Imison, Principal Contrabassoon with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, who will play four different curtals in the concert. Imison’s passion for early woodwind extends beyond performance—his personal collection includes 15 historical bassoons. He will be joined by fellow curtal specialist Simon Rickard, who studied historical bassoons at the Dutch Royal Conservatorium and spent years performing in Europe with leading early music ensembles such as Les Arts Florissants and the Gabrieli Consort.
Rickard is also known for his work with the rackett, a bizarre Renaissance wind instrument, and the baroque musette, a refined cousin of the bagpipe. In this concert, however, he will focus on the curtal’s role in early Italian, Iberian, and German baroque music.
Ensemble 642 brings together some of Australia’s finest basso continuo performers. Viola da gamba player Laura Vaughan, a long-time collaborator with Rickard, has also studied at the Dutch Royal Conservatorium and is one of Australia’s few performers of rare instruments like the lira da gamba and the baryton. Her playing is well known through appearances with Pinchgut Opera, the Australian Haydn Ensemble, and her baroque trio, Latitude 37.
Joining her is historical harpist Hannah Lane, described by Australian Stage as “a true master” of the baroque triple harp. Lane studied in Milan with harp expert Mara Galassi and now performs with leading ensembles across Australia and Europe. She is also artistic director of Ensemble 642 and teaches at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.
Rounding out the continuo group is multi-instrumentalist Nicholas Pollock, whose background ranges from punk guitar to expert performances on theorbo, baroque guitar, and lute. Pollock’s versatility and flair have made him a sought-after player with Australia’s top period and classical ensembles.
This performance promises to be a rich sonic experience, evoking a sound world that has largely disappeared from modern concert halls. For early music lovers—and anyone curious about the expressive range of these rare instruments—this will be a rare chance to hear the curtal family in full flight.
Date: Saturday 5 July
Time: 2.30pm
Venue: Christ Church, 54 Central Springs Road, Daylesford
Bookings: trybooking.com
More information: Daylesford – Christ Church Concerts on Facebook.
Inquiries: Frank Page e:frank@pagebell.com, m:0417 010 817
