I went to a very interesting concert by the Orchestra of the Age of Englightenment last night. It was the strings plus harpsichord, theorbo and organ playing music of the 17th century - works by Schmelzer, Biber, Muffat and Mayr. I must confess I don't know much music before Bach and Handel and Biber was the only one I'd heard of but it was all fascinating, especially the little descriptive episodes that appeared, such as a fencing match and a peasants' progression around a church. (The concert took place in a church and some of the violinists walked round it during that.)

Other curiosities included Biber's Battalia a 10 in D of 1673. Col legno was used to produce a warlike effect and there was a very discordant episode representing soldiers singing various songs at once. At another point, a solo violin imitated a fife and paper was inserted between the strings of the double bass to make it sound like a drum.

It was called Bohemian Baroque because the music had been found in what is now the Czech Republic. I sometimes wonder what other music is lying around waiting to be discovered. I would want to know everything that was in any library I was responsible for or property I had.