Sean Ferguson of The Early Interval on the Excitement of Twelfth Night 2025

Sean Ferguson with a theorbo

By Edgar Singleton, communications specialist with of Early Music in Columbus

Sean Ferguson is The Early Interval’s plucked instrument specialist and longtime performer with the group. He is also the library supervisor of Ohio State University’s Music/Dance Library. He’ll be performing with the group in their annual Twelfth Night concert on Saturday, Jan. 4.

Edgar: How did you get started in your art form? What do you remember about first being intrigued by it?
Sean: I was always surrounded by music, with parents who played instruments and were often listening to recordings and taking me to concerts. I heard albums by the legendary classical guitarist Andres Segovia at a very young age, and had opportunities to experience guitarists performing live. The sound and technique just appealed to me more than other instruments, so I started taking lessons at the age of seven and have never stopped exploring the guitar, and later its many earlier cousins. Renaissance and Baroque music always fascinated me, and I purchased a Baroque guitar over 30 years ago. Since then I’ve added the large theorbo and numerous other plucked instruments to my collection.

Edgar: The Early Interval’s Twelfth Night performance will take place on Jan. 4. If my calculations are correct, this will be the 34th Twelfth Night performance by the group. What do you think it is about The Early Interval’s Twelfth Night Performances that brings people out year after year?
Sean: I think it’s the timing and the unique sounds and repertoire. The rush of the Christmas season is over, and the busy activity of the new year hasn’t quite begun, so it’s a time to enjoy a mix of familiar and newly discovered music in a relaxed, shared experience. Ever since The Early Interval’s founder Ron Cook conceived the Twelfth Night concerts in the early 1990s, they have become a tradition bringing local musicians and audiences together in beautiful and acoustically resonant settings.

Edgar: You are the plucked instrument specialist with The Early Interval, and you perform on multiple instruments that fit that description. How do these instruments contribute to the sound of music from the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque eras?
Sean: Going back to the ancient Greek lyre and Arabic oud, the sounds of plucked strings, often combined with sustained voices or other instruments, have always captivated listeners. The variety of plucked instruments across the centuries is extremely diverse and evocative of different times and places, and their various sounds, sizes and shapes demonstrate their versatility and popularity. From higher-pitched melodies to lively strumming of chords and deep bass lines, lutes, guitars and their many cousins add unique character to much of the early music repertoire.

Sean Ferguson with members of Early Interval

Edgar: I’m particularly interested in the theorbo, the massive multi-stringed instrument that draws attention for both its sound and its appearance. What would a curious audience member want to learn about this instrument?
Sean: It’s essentially a ‘double-bass lute’ and gets its unique appearance from the very long neck needed to support the lowest bass strings. It was invented as an enlarged version of the lute around 1600 when the first operas and solo songs were being composed in Italy, and they needed a fuller, lower sound to provide accompaniment for the singers. The upper seven strings are fingered by the left hand for chords, and the lowest seven strings are simply plucked with the thumb to provide the bass line. It has a rich, mellow sound, and was also used to play solo works specially composed or arranged for its unique qualities.

Edgar: The 2025 edition of Twelfth Night features music of France, particularly that of composer Marc Antoine Charpentier. What should concert goers expect to experience in St. Joseph Cathedral on Twelfth Night?
Sean: This year’s performance features a wonderful mix of seasonal French music from various regions and musical styles. Charpentier’s music is a colorful blend of Italian and French influences. He wrote a very short oratorio for three singers telling the Epiphany story of the three wise men, and we’re also performing excerpts from three of his larger nativity works. He and several other French Baroque composers wrote numerous sets of instrumental ‘noels’ from which we have chosen a selection of favorites.

We’re also including several traditional carols which are still well-loved in France and familiar even to audiences in this country. Their tunes often originated as marches, dances or even drinking songs, with sacred Christmas and Epiphany texts added later. The instrumentation in this year’s concert is especially rich and varied, with a string quintet, recorder, rebec, percussion, theorbo, guitar and the new continuo organ. Even the hurdy-gurdy (a medieval hand-cranked string instrument with a tiny keyboard) makes an appearance!

Edgar: What are a couple of things you really love about Columbus?
Sean: The Southern Theatre’s acoustics and intimate beauty make it a jewel for live music. The Short North and Bexley are a couple of my favorite walkable areas. Unique and independent restaurants are always my go-to, and I’m a big North Market fan.

See Sean and The Early Interval performing A French 12th Night on Saturday, Jan. 4 at St. Joseph Cathedral in downtown Columbus (212 E. Broad St.). Tickets are $35 for regular admission, $28 for seniors and $15 for students.

This article is part of a bi-weekly column brought to you by the Greater Columbus Arts Council as part of the Art Makes Columbus campaign. Explore a calendar of events, public art database and artist stories at columbusmakesart.com. To learn more about GCAC grants visit gcac.org.