De Swarte and Dunford charm and captivate beneath the splendour of Smith Square Hall in a magical evening of skill, camaraderie and entertainment
The London Festival of Baroque Music has been delighting audiences since its inception in 1984, and throughout its long history, it has served as the capital’s premier early music destination. Baroque music, as it is known, describes anything written between 1600 and 1750, a broad spectrum of work that encompasses opera, sonata, concerto and everything in between. The Artistic Advisor of the festival, Iestyn Davies, has titled this year’s programme ‘Refractions’, to reflect the idea that early music comes alive when it is performed, jumping from the page and awakening in the ears and soul.
Tonight’s offering is The Mad Lover, a performance that brings together two masters of their craft: violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte and lutenist Thomas Dunford. The Mad Lover refers to an early modern play of the same name, which over time has been adapted and added to by numerous composers, notably John Eccles, whose work we hear alongside the likes of Nicola Matteis, Daniel and Henry Purcell, and Joan Ambrosio Dalza. Tonight is the duo’s first performance of this programme in London, and it is nothing short of spectacular.
The musicianship on display is simply outstanding, and both Dunford and de Swarte lean into the drama of the pieces, whilst also maintaining an unstuffy and down-to-earth presence, refreshing to see in this kind of environment. Pieces are introduced anecdotally, and the pair make jokes about the challenge of performing in the round, awkwardly moving their music stand to find the light. Dunford breaks a string at one point, and, as he crouches to the ground to frantically restring it, de Swarte fills the time by waxing lyrical about the relationships between Baroque composers.
It’s casual. It’s fun. Their camaraderie and goofiness between pieces are all the more heartening when they suddenly erupt back into the music, masterfully duetting through work that is both technical and varied. The programme is excellently put together and fluctuates in texture and dynamics. Baroque music is known for touching extremes, with soft movements giving way to frantic, juxtaposed work. At one point, Dunford describes the style as ancient jazz music, and it does feel like the work has an experimental quality that would come to be regulated by the time the Classical period came along. Like jazz, the programme also allows the musicians to improvise. The extended lute improvisation from Dunford is mesmerising.
The performance ends on a wholesome note, with Dunford dividing the audience into vocal ranges and entreating us to help with the English folk song John Come and Kiss Me. As our voices ring out through the hall, the pair improvise over us, creating something bold and magical. It is a unique experience, and one that recommences in the encore as, possibly dreamed up in the moment by Dunford, we are invited to harmonise with the Beatles’ Blackbird — a moment that serves as a reminder of the timelessness of music.
It is hard to put into words the magic felt in the room tonight, but to say that performances like this are transformative would be putting it mildly. Two nonchalant musicians sharing music that they love, under a golden chandelier.
The Mad Lover is featured in the London Festival of Baroque Music, which runs from 24–31 October 2026.