Apeiron Baroque was founded by its directors John Ma and Marie Searles in 2022 to present Baroque chamber music played on period instruments in a relaxed and conversational setting. So it is for this concert of (mostly) lesser-known composers, with Ma introducing each piece with a light-hearted profile of each composer in their historical setting, often with a mischievous anecdote or two.  

First, two Concertus – numbers four and six from Horae Pomeridinae (Afternoon Hours)  – by Jan Brenter set the afternoon off, with Sally Walker’s Baroque flute leading the conversation with stings and continuo, swapping with each successive phrase.  

Apeiron Baroque: Afternoon Hours. John Ma and Sally Walker. Photo © Peter Hislop

The flute is a touch flat against the violin (Ma) and viola (Brad Tham) at the outset, but this resolves as the instrument warmed up on the chilly Canberra winter afternoon. The Allegro from Concertus six finishes mid-rollick, in a very jolly flourish.

In his time, and apparently for years afterwards, George Philipp Telemann’s chamber works were sometimes misattributed to Bach. Yet his Trio for Flute, Viola dámore and continuo is quite distinctive, setting...