Music / David Yardley. At the  National Portrait Gallery, June 2. Reviewed by GRAHAM McDONALD

David Yardley is a performer of medieval troubadour songs, sung in the countertenor range while accompanying himself on a replica 13th century harp. 

Some of his material uses texts and melodies from the medieval period, some are texts both old and new set to music written by Yardley in a medieval style. 

The foyer of the National Portrait Gallery is not an obvious performance space, with gallery visitors moving through with conversations going on and further complicated by the provision of easels and drawing board with an invitation to visitors to sketch the performer as he sings. The space does have, however, a lively acoustic for this kind of music, with the winter sun streaming in through the high windows.

The original medieval material can sometimes sound very old and alien. Yardley’s performance of an anonymous Trouvere song Li Chastelains de Couci Ama Tant suggests that musicians of the 12th and 13th century heard scales, modes and melodies in quite a different way. At the same time these ancient songs sit quite comfortably beside his own setting of a modern poem by Emma Roxanas, Frozen Fens, which would not sound out of place in a recital of contemporary art songs, though perhaps with an expanded accompaniment.

Yardley included soprano Emma Griffiths for two songs. The first was a duet of sorts with the two alternating verses in another Trouvere song from the 13th century and the second was the setting by Yardley of a 14th century English text, ending on a couple of wonderfully high notes and sustained notes from Griffiths. She has a voice that sounds more folk singer than operatic soprano, strong and confident, with hints of the great Hungarian singer Marta Sebesten in the quality of her singing.

These medieval songs are quite a limited musical form, being essentially monophonic and the small harp being of restricted compass. They do tend to sound a bit the same. 

For all that, Yardley is an engaging performer with an obvious passion for, and understanding of, the genre though with this kind of performance, it would look better without the music stand.