On Saturday night, the voice of tenor Aaron Sheehan and instrumentation by lutenist Paul O’Dette filled Northwestern’s Galvin Recital Hall.

Playing English Renaissance lutenist and composer John Dowland’s music, the concert was part of the Segovia Classical Guitar Series and the Evelyn Dunbar Memorial Early Music Festival. Bienen School of Music’s faculty guitarist Anne Waller organized the concert and introduced it as a special event for the 400th anniversary of Dowland’s death. 

Sheehan and O’Dette performed songs together, interspersed with lute solos by O’Dette. 

The audience followed the rhythm by nodding their heads as Sheehan’s voice sang Dowland’s tender songs.

Audience member Jeanie Wallenstein complimented Sheehan’s voice.

“His voice is magical,” she said. “It’s just lovely.”

Most of the Dowland pieces played were mellow and lyrical, such as “Come, heavy Sleep” and “Sweet, stay awhile.” Waller described Dowland as “one of the greatest contrapuntal composers,” meaning that he created complex music with multiple melodic lines. 

Sheehan’s vocals were accompanied by O’Dette’s lute, an ovoid plucked instrument, popular in the 16th century.

“One of the reasons there’s been such a big revival of early instruments is that people have been trying to really rediscover, ‘What did this music sound like when it was written?’” Waller said. “It simply suits what the composers were hearing, and it suits the language that they were writing in.”

Waller noted that the timbre of the lute is subtle, with a light sound that harmonizes well with a tenor. 

O’Dette’s playing and Sheehan’s singing exemplified this juxtaposition in tone.

“The lute parts are not just accompaniments by any sense of the word,” Waller said. “They’re actually very complex, contrapuntally written pieces of which the vocal part plays the role of the highest voice.” 

Wallenstein said she noticed the cooperation between the two performers, which helped spread the music’s charm.

“The music is marvelous, and they work together very well,” she said. 

At the end of their official set, O’Dette and Sheehan remained on stage to play one more song as an encore.

The duo received a standing ovation, and another audience member, Warren Sherman, said he enjoyed the soothing music.

“I find it very relaxing,” he said. “Extremely relaxing.”

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