Review of Christmas Concert 2016
Aylesbury Choral Society planned one of the most innovative Christmas Concerts I have experienced; Jeff Stewart gave his choir an enormous amount of singing to do and generally they rose well to the occasion. There could have been a larger semi-chorus in the “In Dulci Jubilo” which started the concert. Another 19th Century carol “Sleep Holy Babe” by J B Dykes was sung beautifully at the end of the first half.
Between these two pieces, we had an education in various Renaissance styles. The spectre at the feast was the Venetian, Giovanni Gabrielli, whose “cori spezzati” (split choirs) at St Mark’s had started a style which spread throughout Europe. Though we had no Gabrielli, we had the Dutchman, Sweelink, who studied in Venice, in “Ab Oriente”, a rarity, and the better-known “Hodie”. The choir was in full flow by now but it would have been nice, in some way to have split the two choirs antiphonally.
Then came Gabrielli’s successor at St Mark’s, Monteverdi; “Beatus Vir” in his “second style”, which uses a continuo.
Colin Spinks ably accompanied the choir throughout on the chamber organ and indeed on the main organ for the two congregational carols. It was pleasing to see young faces in the small orchestra and doubtless this would have been good experience for them.
In the second half, we moved to 17th Century France for the “Messe de Minuet” by Charpentier. It was well worth an airing and similarities with Purcell, his English Contemporary, came to mind. Finally, the Magnificat by Pergolesi, a joyful work at the beginning and end, particularly; a not-unworthy setting compared with the one we usually hear by Bach The tenor, Alistair Walker, was notable amongst the soloists but it was the choir, which seemed to have enjoyed their challenges, that made the evening memorable.
Many thanks to DavId Berdinner for this review.
Aylesbury Choral Society planned one of the most innovative Christmas Concerts I have experienced; Jeff Stewart gave his choir an enormous amount of singing to do and generally they rose well to the occasion. There could have been a larger semi-chorus in the “In Dulci Jubilo” which started the concert. Another 19th Century carol “Sleep Holy Babe” by J B Dykes was sung beautifully at the end of the first half.
Between these two pieces, we had an education in various Renaissance styles. The spectre at the feast was the Venetian, Giovanni Gabrielli, whose “cori spezzati” (split choirs) at St Mark’s had started a style which spread throughout Europe. Though we had no Gabrielli, we had the Dutchman, Sweelink, who studied in Venice, in “Ab Oriente”, a rarity, and the better-known “Hodie”. The choir was in full flow by now but it would have been nice, in some way to have split the two choirs antiphonally.
Then came Gabrielli’s successor at St Mark’s, Monteverdi; “Beatus Vir” in his “second style”, which uses a continuo.
Colin Spinks ably accompanied the choir throughout on the chamber organ and indeed on the main organ for the two congregational carols. It was pleasing to see young faces in the small orchestra and doubtless this would have been good experience for them.
In the second half, we moved to 17th Century France for the “Messe de Minuet” by Charpentier. It was well worth an airing and similarities with Purcell, his English Contemporary, came to mind. Finally, the Magnificat by Pergolesi, a joyful work at the beginning and end, particularly; a not-unworthy setting compared with the one we usually hear by Bach The tenor, Alistair Walker, was notable amongst the soloists but it was the choir, which seemed to have enjoyed their challenges, that made the evening memorable.
Many thanks to DavId Berdinner for this review.
