The musical programme presented by Capella de Ministrers is built around this premise: Spanish music from 1500 to 1650, the Renaissance to the Baroque, with a mix of composers and song books relating to Miguel de Cervantes and his ironic chiaroscuro. There is a rich seam of references in Cervantes’ work (and not only in Don Quixote) to the music, musical customs and dance in Spain during the 16th century and the early part of the 17th century

The Silk Road is one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of civilizations. Along this great Silk Road travelled not only the executors of trade, but also the cultures of nations, spiritual values and religious ideas. Silk has been one of the items around which has turned the relationship between nations of the East and West, and through silk a technological, economic, artistic and cultural communication has been produced between geographically- different areas, which have turned it into a route of transmission of knowledge, a route of interchange of cultures and customs. We too have been formed by it, making us more aware of our multicultural past, of which Islam formed part with key contributions, amongst which is worth underlining the introduction of the silk industry into the European continent. This is a musical journey through the territories of the Silk Road, across borders. It is a unique experience to share this common heritage, by recovering the past in order for it to be borne to the present, using music as a universal language.

Capella de Ministrers, whether intentionally or not, are reclaiming their Mediterranean personality. This is nothing new and it is something they have stood up for throughout their career, bringing it to the stage in their live performances and in their fifty recordings. The idea of the Mediterranean is not exclusively geographical in nature, it is rather a philosophy relating to the way in which music survives culturally. It all begins on land, of course, but eyes turn towards the sea in a poetic extension which is as natural as it is creative. The sea sparks the imagination and reaches places where a fresh gaze and dialogue enrich musical and historical understanding. On this occasion, the sea takes us to Italy and specifically to Naples where emotions spark off in many different directions.

The Revolt of the Brotherhoods: Military Music and Culture in 16th Century Europe. Music and war have been linked together since time immemorial. This relationship can be traced from the simple drum and bugle calls performed by army musicians at the height of battle, to communicate orders or to engender courage (or fear) in the combatants, to the more elaborate pieces composed to instil patriotism, such as military marches, songs of victory and compositions for triumphal parades, staged works and dances such as choreographed sword dances. In the religious sphere the impact of war, always wrapped in a solemn, moralizing tone, has been similarly noteworthy. This has led to an impressive repertoire of music associated with funeral services for fallen heroes (Requiem masses), thanksgiving celebrations (Te Deum, military masses, etc) and even the expressive Holy Week musical repertoire based on Jeremiah’s Book of Lamentations, which relates the story of the siege and destruction of the city of Jerusalem after falling into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar II in 587 B. C. The musical practices associated with military culture range, therefore, from the sacred to the profane, from the privacy within four walls to the open city streets and from strictly military action to the pleasures of the brothel or street celebrations.

Cervantes and his Don Quixote and William Shakespeare with his Hamlet were both grandfathered by melancholy, just like everyone in Europe in the 16th century. They were suppressed by feckless authorities and an unforgiving god, a combination leading to cruel and merciless religious conflicts, unperturbed as the populace died. Thus abandoned, society had no choice but to cling to the intellect and to the essence of the human being, rife with all its moral complexity. We have given much thought to these Shakespearian references and to the feelings which so obsessed Burton and these have influenced our meticulous choice of the repertoire and musical instruments for A Circle in the Water. First of all, there had to be a place for the human voice, the narrator of stories, the driver of passion and transmitter of melancholy. As in the theatre, where the actors were accompanied by a stringed instrument, our grouping includes a viola da gamba, an eight-string lute and a theorbo. They all appeared in many different scenes, whether solo or together with other voices and instruments. Their harmonious strings were also a recurring metaphor to describe intra- or inter-personal relationships between different roles and they were even used as tools to stimulate emotions.