“The ensemble captivates with its excellent stage presence and its ability to combine the historical and the contemporary.”
[…] The voices of the soloists gave the music extraordinary clarity, a connection of vulnerability and strength that brought out both the playful and melancholic aspects of the music. Sofia Pedro and Ana Parejo gave their sopranos an ethereal, dreamy quality that made desire and love almost tangible. […]
“The contrast could not be greater when Ana Parejo Belando puts down her alto saxophone to continue shining as a soprano. In the blink of an eye, the audience is transported to the 15th century, the height of the Renaissance, with the song ‘Ay triste que vengo’ by Juan de la Encina (1468–1529), which the artist performs with a bell-like tone.
With a song from the Middle Ages, ‘El baxel està en la playa’, by an unknown composer, set to music by Gabriel Bataille (1575–1630), the singer and her fellow performers have the audience completely won over. It is proof that music has no expiry date, especially when, as in this song, it is about love.”
“Parejo performed Glazunov’s Chant du Menestrel, originally written for cello and orchestra, arranged for saxophone and piano by the award-winner herself, and Debussy’s Rhapsody for saxophone and orchestra, adapted for saxophone and piano. The former is a delightful, melancholic and cinematic piece, perfect for a cloudy, gloomy day like Tuesday’s; the latter is fast-paced, full of energy and contrasts. The saxophonist demonstrated great mastery of her instrument, skilfully adapting the volume and tone of the piano whilst maintaining excellent phrasing.”
“Parejo had his chance to shine later on, delivering a captivating, extended solo, full of fluttering movements, which culminated in an incredible sequence performed in a bowl of water, producing a delightful and strangely moving series of sonically inscrutable bubbles.”