While it is a pleasure to see and hear the amount of music-making going on in South Wales it is not often that one gets the opportunity to hear an early music consort like Pavane performing in such a llovely acoustic as St. John's.

Based in Cardiff,they perform medieval,Renaissance and Baroque music on authentic instruments. One of the many impressive features of this concert was the ability of all seven members to interchange between a range of often very diverse instruments. As if that was not enough they were also able to give some very competent vocal performances (as soloists and as a group).

Instruments varied from the sopranino recorder (expertly played by Nick Bowman in the obbligato to the Handel aria 'Hush ye pretty warbling quire' from 'Acis and Galatea') to the visually striking bulk of the 14 string theorbo (played by Steve Metcalfe). Other instruments included the rebec,rauschpfeif,viols,lutes and harp.

Within their recital they took us through the gamut of Renaissance and early Baroque soundworlds - from the intimacy of a pavane for solo lute by Alfonso Ferrabosco (interestingly one of many Renaissance composers who when not making music doubled as a spy! Dowland and Byrd were others) to an unaccompanied madrigal by Welsh composer Thomas Tomkins . There were some more raucous Elizabethan dances that incorporated the bucolic shawm and crumhorn and a number of songs by Purcell. Underpinning most of the instrumental performances was Eli Williams on the virginals - her Telemann Duo with Nick Bowman was a particular highlight.