Music and Dance Reviews : Boston Camerata

The point of the Boston Camerata’s “Sacred Bridge” program is simple enough in theory, complex in practice--the interrelationship of medieval Jewish and Christian music. Director Joel Cohen and five other early music heroes of the Camerata made this potentially dry subject live through fluent, stylistically persuasive music-making Tuesday evening at the Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel.

The Bostonians were repeating the program with which they made their local debut in 1985. Cohen provided some humorous verbal annotation, but largely let the music deliver its own message through pointed program juxtapositions.

The entire second half of the agenda matched songs from the Sephardic oral tradition with some of the Cantigas de Sancta Maria collected by Alfonso el Sabio in the 13th Century.

The program began similarly, with sets that included a performance alternating the Latin and Hebrew versions of the same Psalm tone. This monophonic repertory was presented simply, but with remarkable vocal grace and clarity.

A set devoted to Jewish minstrels culminated in another bit of early music kitsch, based on a comically boastful autobiographical poem by one Yitzhak Gorni.

Selections from the 18th-Century repertory of the Jewish community in Carpentras, some of it based on familiar Baroque airs such as “La Folia,” were the only ventures outside the Medieval-traditional bounds. These pieces featured the bright, supple singing of soprano Anne Azema, and allowed Carol Lewis--otherwise confined to droning vielle accompaniment--some difficult solo gamba opportunities.

Other members of the ensemble were the busy singer-lutenist-harpist John Fleagle, his warm, focused baritone particularly effective in Mathieu le Juif’s “Par grant franchise;” clarion countertenor Michael Collver, who also played percussion and contributed a cornett solo to the Cantigas set; and under-used flute and recorder virtuoso Jesse Lepkoff. Cohen himself sang reedily and played lutes.