Two groups specialising in early European Renaissance and early Baroque-era medieval music are to hold a joint concert in Douglas next weekend.

The music ensemble Hartes Ease, which perform using authentic instruments such as violas da gamba, recorders and percussion will join up with the haunting tones of the Tallis Consort choir for a fund-raising concert at St Ninian’s Church, Friday, May 11, from 7.30pm.

This concert will include individual performances from both groups, and also a number of songs which will bring both groups together.

Cristl Jerry, who plays with Hartes Ease, said that she sees a lot of interest in old and historic forms of music, and she hopes for a similar repeat of the last time the two groups performed together last year.

’We hope our audience will enjoy the rich variety of music, mostly from the early European Renaissance through to the early Baroque era,’ said Cristl.

’Tallis Consort and Hartes Ease performed together in May last year, which was a great success and both groups enjoyed the experience of performing together. We decided that if it were at all possible we would do another.

’We will be performing some well known pieces, such as the 13th century round, ’Sumer is icumen in’, a brand new arrangement by Hartes Ease musician, Marilyn Cullen.

’In contrast, another piece to be performed by both groups is Gibbons’s famous, "Cries of London" for voices and viols’.

An imitative piece, it gives a musical impression of the sounds and cries of street vendors that the Gibbons and his contemporary Shakespeare, would have witnessed.

The St Ninian’s concert is free to enter, with a retiring collection for the Parkinson’s Disease Society Isle of Man.