It’s an unexpected pairing, to be sure. A viol consort and a study of Black Spirituals.
Backing up… a viol? If you’re unfamiliar with the instrument, it’s for a good reason. The entire viola da gamba family of instruments died out centuries ago, no longer able to compete with the strength and sound of modern string instruments. It’s part guitar, part cello… and fully organic. The strings are made from sheep gut, and that’s the key, says Philip Spray of the viol consort Alchymy Viols.
The vibration from this organic material creates a sound that is the closest to the human voice. It’s that slant toward humanity that made him consider a suggestion from a colleague, the countertenor Michael Walker II.
Spray says, “My idea is I want to mix viols with other things, and then Michael came to me with this outrageous idea: Hey, I think Alchymy Viols should do Spirituals on viols…. and that was the beginning right there.”
In both traditions – the Renaissance viol consort and the singing of Black Spirituals – there was no concert hall. The music was done in community, was done for one another. And that’s why the pairing works, says Spray.
From this idea came a 2024 album, and now the project is starting to tour around the region. Listen to my conversation with Philip Spray here.
Alchymy Viols; Deep River.mp3
Alchymy Viols’ project Deep River: Spirituals’ Cross-Currents is in town this weekend.
Deep River: Spirituals’ Cross-Currents
Alchymy Viols
Michael Walker II, countertenor
Second Presbyterian Church
March 15, 3pm