A zither, a hurdy-gurdy and a pipa walked into a bar...

Yesterday we had a quick post-work dinner at Erebuni (which I'd previously visited in 2017) - this time I had the Armenian dolmas - before heading over to the Barbican for a concert given by Jordi Savall (whom I'd previously seen in 2014) and Hespèrion XXI. The programme was inspired by the travels of Ibn Battuta, and as such ranged from Morocco across the Mediterranean, north and east Africa, the Near and Middle East, the Black Sea, India and China. Loosely following his travel writing, with a narration given by Assaad Bouab, the programme also included references to contemporary historical events such as the outbreak of the Hundred Years War and the coronation of Pope Benedict XII. I'm not a great fan of the amplification used but in a large venue, it is a practical necessity for a band such as this. Savall's recordings always feel eclectic and well-researched, and though the geographic spread of these works meant that some of the concert arrangements featured unlikely combinations of instruments, there was an essential sense of authenticity.