Reviews

Established by harpist joy Smith and recorder ace Layil Barr, this innovative and uplifting group bring a fresh vigour and sophistication to the world of early music with their superb playing and colourful presentation... illustration both their mastery of their instruments and their exquisite taste in material and form.

Thank you so much for the amazing evening last Saturday! Your concert would surely rank amongst our audience's top ten favourites of all time and we have been going for sixteen years now! I hope so much we can ask you to come back again in a few year's time - if we can afford you then - as you will have a ready-made fan club crying out for tickets... fabulous evening!

Incredible talent and enthusiasm ... it was a joy to host Eclipse in the Barbican!

"The OCMS members, loved the performance on Saturday. It was seamlessly and beautifully presented, and a thoroughly musical and professional performance, giving insight to the construction and playing of the many unfamiliar instruments, and also showcasing the great improvisatory skills of all performers. Adding the spectacle of colourful dressing, and the variety of wonderful dances so expertly performed by Mariona, it provided an entertainment ideally suited to the end of our concert season. We would like to have you again!"

Review "Eclipse casts a long shadow"
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"an evening of colour and interest... most impressive... a fascinating trip... from the genteel to the virtuoso..."

'Immediately following their sparkling performance at Boxgrove, in 2008, Michael Nott (Concert Director) had been so stimulated he booked the international Eclipse Ensemble for the third event of this, his fifth Chichester Chamber Concerts season'

'effervescent ensemble...merging Spanish colour and romance with their technical brilliance - eloquently introduced by harpist, Joy Smith.'

'....immense passion...glamorous group...captivating sounds...exotic instruments...'

'...a truly enlightening demonstration of all his instruments by the enthusiastic percussionist from Uruguay, Andres Ticino' '...they brought this unique show to a mesmerising conclusion with the resounding dynamism of the legendary Tarantela'

"Thank you all for a wonderful weekend. Performances like yours remind me why I started this place. I just wish I could have captured the sight and sound of the 'rain dance' to take out of storage when I get depressed"

A brilliant and and elevating concert!

We were totally stunned. I have never seen such a reaction by our audiences. You were sensational! Every part was so well thought out to give contrast. The rapport and interaction -- and enjoyment -- was infectious. A dancer and a voice with three musicians worked superbly. I was besieged at the break and afterwards by happy people. What a start to Christmas. Thank you very much for coming up so far in frosty weather. We needed the sunshine!

Ken Geddes
Concert Promoter
Clitheroe Music Society, December 2008

Jill Elsworthy
Concert Promoter
Horsham Music Circle

I am writing to express my enthusiasm and appreciation of the wonderful, capacity performance given by Eclipse for the King of Hearts Early Music Festival Weekend.

It was an outstanding success both musically and humanly, because of the lovely way you all interacted with the audience, giving just the right introductions.

The element of improvisation which is in all your shows is exciting and inspiring, and you carry it off brilliantly because of being such splendid musicians; technical prowess and virtuosity on both recorder and harp was impressive yet almost forgotten in the delight of your great musical sensitivity. The percussion was never dominating, with subtle sounds as well as faultless rhythms.

Clare’s voice was perfect for the warmth and nostalgia of the Sephardic songs.

The programming also was excellent, giving the evening a lovely variety and flow, contrasting the songs with instrumental pieces and spoken poems, mixing very successfully the Sephardic tradition with the Baroque.

I think what you do with Eclipse is quite unique, and every promoter who will book you is in for guaranteed delight and a very happy audience. It was abundantly clear from our audience's enthusiastic comments after the show that they all wanted you back, so do let me know when you have another programme to offer.

Let me know if there is any way I can help Eclipse, a group who has already made many fans and deserves a great future.

With all very best wishes and many thanks again for a splendid evening.

Five exceptional musicians enthralled their enthusiastic audience on the opening night of the 2008 Music at Boxgrove Concerts. The concert was a great success in every way with the passionate enthusiasm of the group Eclipse ensuring that the audience enjoyed every minute.

An exciting and fast moving unusual programme was drawn from the medieval and baroque music of Spain and England originating in the period between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries. Much of the music was improvisation using the main theme from whichever composition the group were playing at the time.

It gave the opportunity to hear the marvellous sound of eighteen medieval and baroque instruments. Together with percussion from Andres Ticino, the combination of the medieval harp (Joy Smith), lute and theorbo (Lynda Sayce), recorders and viola da gamba (Layil Barr) was a teasingly beautiful sound transporting us temporarily from the humdrum modern world to music of long ago.

A very friendly and intimate atmosphere was created by the members of the group who took it in turns to explain the choice of music and its history with descriptions of the instruments used.

Clare Norburn (Soprano) was outstanding throughout. A singer with an amazing range and versatility, she faithfully captured the English Renaissance songs of John Dowland and of the Medieval Spanish Sephardic Jews.

It was a tremendously happy and joyous occasion given by young people displaying incredible talent made very special by their charm and charisma.

Beautifully transported us to Moorish Spain... truly wonderful! Come and play for us every day!

Eclipse is one of the most exciting young ensembles on the early music scene at the moment.  With all round attention to performing detail and comprising some of the top musicians of their generation, their performances are a colourful blend of virtuosic playing, story telling, drama and dance.  Our audiences loved the concert and we will be inviting Eclipse back, due to public demand.

The show was really exciting, and unlike any classical concert I have been to.  What worked for me best was that although it was a ‘fusion’ event, it avoided any gimmicks or cheap tricks.  The performance was full of life, colour, excellent playing; all the elements work so well together, and feel completely organic. It was clear that each of the performers had a real passion and sensitivity towards the music and this came across beautifully.

My audience was delighted by the unusualness of the event, the beautiful dresses and mixture of Baroque and Spanish improvisation. The programme was very well balanced between dreamy pieces and more rhythmic ones, and the introductions were very good - we all enjoyed ourselves very much.

The chance to be artistically warmed with a potentially hot programme of 17th century Spanish dance music was not to be passed up.

Calling themselves Eclipse and dressed the part, the quartet settled to a weaving and mellow mix for harp, theorbo and guitar. It was the start of a journey of discovery in the music of the time rather than the modern Flamenco image of the country.

Drums set complicated rhythmic patterns in Gallardas with Xacaras, being based on a gentle but always mobile harp tune full of colour. All the music was improvised “mood” music. The group was certainly in a good mood for the guitar melody of Zarambeques embellished by the harp.The whirling rhythm of the tarantella was effective as a climax to the whole.

Eclipse had a musical gentility to go with their skills. A real winter warmer!

This lively ensemble gave a wonderful performance of early Baroque music, played on harp, recorder, viol, theorbo and percussion.  The four players drew us into the atmosphere of 16th and 17th century Spanish culture in a strikingly vivid way, with lively interpretation and delightful ensemble work.  The link with this music and the more familiar English territory of Gibbons, Byrd and later Purcell, was interesting.  The vitality of the music was enhanced and emphasized by the incorporation of dramatic dance sequences.  A superb production in an atmospheric candlelit church.  I was particularly impressed by their presentation.  It was all so well done.