In the light of the candle

This concert by the London Obbligato Collective offers a musical response to 'Joseph Wright of Derby: From the Shadows', exploring the same themes of mortality, reflection, and curiosity that glow through Wright’s iconic night scenes.

Performed by flute, cello, soprano, and harpsichord, the programme features music by composers from Wright’s world – including William Herschel, Edward Miller, and Thomas Linley the Elder – as well as Handel’s evocative cantata 'Pensieri notturni di Filli'. Together, these works illuminate the emotional and philosophical shadows of Wright’s candlelit vision.

Just as Wright used flickering light and deep shadow to explore themes of mortality, melancholy, moral inquiry, and human fragility, this concert offers a sonic response to his world – shaped by the cultural, intellectual, and musical circles of Enlightenment Britain.

Among the composers featured is William Herschel, astronomer, composer, and one of Wright’s most celebrated portrait subjects, whose music reflects both the refinement and curiosity of the era.

Wright also painted the flautist and composer Edward Miller, whose portrait was only recently rediscovered after centuries in private hands. As a young man, Miller played the flute in Handel’s orchestra, and his music – elegant, expressive, and quietly devotional – bridges the public grandeur and private reflection that permeate Wright’s work.

Another sitter was Thomas Linley the Elder, whose portrait is now lost, but whose influence as a teacher and composer in Bath made him a key figure in provincial musical life.

The programme is anchored by Handel’s 'Pensieri notturni di Filli', a cantata steeped in nocturnal atmosphere, poetic longing, and emotional nuance, qualities that resonate closely with Wright’s candlelit interiors and their introspective mood. Performed by flute, cello, soprano, and harpsichord, the concert weaves together instrumental brilliance and poetic song, exploring the interplay of reason, melancholy, and imagination – themes that flicker at the edges of both Wright’s paintings and this music.

The London Obbligato Collective is a London-based period-instrument chamber ensemble, founded by harpsichordist Masumi Yamamoto in October 2023. Specialising in under-represented chamber music repertoire, the ensemble highlights the harpsichord in a more soloistic role than traditionally expected, beautifully complemented by other instruments.

In its debut season, the ensemble performed at venues including the National Gallery, the Horniman Museum, Handel & Hendrix, and the National Centre for Early Music in York. They recently toured Southern England with their programme, 'From Gainsborough’s Salon', and are preparing their first commercial CD release, supported by the Continuo Foundation, and the Orbis Pictus Foundation.

The musicians of the London Obbligato Collective regularly perform with leading period-instrument ensembles such as the Gabrieli Consort & Players, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, The English Concert, and the Academy of Ancient Music. With a flexible line-up of two to four musicians, the ensemble explores a diverse repertoire, showcasing the harpsichord’s rich, nuanced tones alongside other period instruments.