The concert presented by Dolgellau Music Club in Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor on Friday, 29 November by the early music group Sirinu left its audience in buoyant mood.

The sheer range and variety of instruments performed by the five players amounted to over a dozen. Combined with excellent singing, this made for an exhilarating musical experience.

'The Road to Toledo' was the show's theme, following the thousand-mile journey in 1501 of Archduke Philip the Fair of Burgundy that played its part in the dynasty-building politics of his marriage to Juana, second daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain.

Philip took along musicians and composers as well as soldiers, and Sirinu members introduced their sets with short extracts from an eyewitness chronicle of the trip (by a courtier more interested in food and wine than the music!). The first half comprised mostly French or Flemish repertoire including the famous Mille regrets by Josquin des Prez, a favourite with Emperor Charles who had it sung for him every night before sleep. Lutenist Matthew Spring added (on the vihuela, Spanish lute) Luis de Narváez' delicate transcription of the piece, intimate and reflective.

Journeying into Spain itself produced more extrovert items, beginning with the traditional Asturianada beautifully sung and ornamented by soprano Sara Stowe, who also captured the folk spirit of Tres morillas about three Moorish girls from Jaén called Aisha, Fátima and Merién.

Recorder-player Kira Thomas's shawm came into its own as the band processed round the hall in a traditional Marcia, Matthew's hurdy-gurdy providing the drone and Jon Banks's drum the essential beat.

Jon mostly played the medieval harp. As well as showing skill on the medieval fiddle, Lewis Spring enhanced many items with his pure alto voice, not least in his solo the anonymous Dezí, flor resplandeciente, a Nativity song.

Sara brought in castanets and the men early guitars for the final set comprising two dances, Zarabanda and Bransle de Montarde, in which Kira's piccolo-like high recorder sparkled with its embellishing melodies. A fine display of brio, and a splendid conclusion to an altogether memorable evening.