For over two decades, organist David Yearsley and violinist Martin Davids have captivated audiences with their enchanting performances, blending the timeless elegance of Renaissance and Baroque music with fresh and innovative interpretations. The deep connection of these long-time musical partners brings a new dimension to the 17th-century works of Heinrich Scheidemann and Johann Schop, two of Hamburg’s most celebrated musicians.
Learn more about the talented David Yearsley below.
How did your love for music begin?
I became enthralled by Bach’s music first: it literally seemed to speak—to make semantic sense—to me. My fascination with his German predecessors (like Schop and Scheidemann) came later, though my engagement with this earlier repertoire has been as richly rewarding for me.
For how many years have you been performing together?
Martin Davids and I (David Yearsley) met at a recording session in Upstate New York some two decades ago. I was at a small positive organ without pedals and Martin was in the orchestra for a program of music of the Italian baroque. During breaks in the recording, we started improvising together, and we really hit it off. We’ve been friends and colleagues ever since.
How do you choose the repertoire for your concerts? Is there a specific theme or story behind them?
In seventeenth-century Hamburg, then Germany’s biggest city, the collaboration between organist Heinrich Scheidemann and the municipal violinist Johann Schop became one of the town’s leading cultural attractions. The pair played from the organ gallery of cavernous St. Catherine’s church to the delight of locals and tourists, colleagues and clerics, local grandees and townsfolk. We are trying to capture, even recreate, and reimagine some of that magic.
What is the most challenging piece in your current repertoire, and why?
All of the pieces have their challenges—from the whispered sorrows of Schop’s setting of that massive hit of the 17th century, John Dowland’s Lachrimae pavane, right through to the closing, dance-till-you-drop thrills of Schop’s Spanish Pavane. Talk about two dances of the same name, but of a very different stripe.
How do you prepare for a concert?
We recorded this program last year and have a real rapport with this style. Every time we come back to this music, it is different and fresh—yet familiar too, like old friends with rewardingly unpredictable personalities.
Do you have a favorite or most memorable performance so far?
I’ve enjoyed every gig with Martin Davids—his unique brilliance and expressivity remain untarnished whether we’re doing the same program again or exploring uncharted territory.
How do you stay motivated?
By breathing.
What’s the most enjoyable part of your work? The most challenging?
The most enjoyable is playing, yet the bureaucracy and connectivity—the modern world!—inexorable encroach. Beam me back to the 17th-century, minus the leeches, purgatives, and witch trials.
What genres of music do you each enjoy listening to?
Jazz; baroque; Beethoven. I’d be hard-pressed to choose between Charlie Parker and J. S. Bach. Dexter Gordon is a (musical) hero of mine.
Which artists/composers inspire you?
Both of the just-mentioned geniuses and too many others to list here. The great organist Jacques van Oortmerssen remains with me, lo this decade after his untimely death. My tribute to him can be read here.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Mountaineering, nordic skiing, kayaking, playing tennis, and piano duets with my partner (the Cornell University organist, Annette Richards).
Do you have any advice you’d like to share with aspiring musicians?
Don’t ever say, “I used to play.” Keep playing and having fun, whether you’re a corporate lawyer or lance corporal.
David Yearsley’s passion for historical music, combined with his many years of collaboration with Martin Davids, offers a unique opportunity to rediscover the brilliance of Scheidemann and Schop. The duo opens our organ recital series with their program, In the Cabinet of Wonders with Schop and Scheidemann: Music for Organ and Violin from 17th-century Hamburg.
Get ready for a spirited exploration of music for organ and violin that transports listeners back to the grandeur of St. Catherine’s Church—you won’t want to miss this recital!
October 6 at 4 p.m.
Presenting Series: David Yearsley, organ with Martin Davids, baroque violin
Violinist Martin Davids and organist David Yearsley have made music over two decades, from Renaissance dances and virtuoso sonatas played on period instruments to electrified versions of Baroque favorites. The friends open the center’s organ recital series with the spirited program, In the Cabinet of Wonders with Schop and Scheidemann: Music for Organ and Violin from 17th-century Hamburg.
*Made possible by the Marjorie O’Malley Sacred Music Series.
