Two settings of this text framed the Chandos Singers’ most recent concert in St. Bartholomew’s, Oldfield Park. We started with Haydn’s Marie-Thérèse setting, which was actually a suggestion of mine when we were looking for a piece to complete the programme. Out of the major anniversary composers this year, Haydn is the one I’d somehow missed performing so far. This particular piece is straightforward enough; I’d never sung it before, but had heard it a few years ago at a May Week concert in Cambridge.
This was followed by the Mass by Joonas Kokkonen, held over from a concert last year. I haven’t sung very much of the late 20th century Baltic repertoire (which is suddenly very trendy), but this seemed to me a characteristic example of it. Frequent changes of time signature kept me on my toes.
In James Durrant’s setting of Hardy’s poem An Anniversary, the choir crooned wordless chords, Delius-style, behind the baritone soloist and piano accompaniment. Despite this, I liked the piece more than I expected to. Maybe it was the tone-row lurking in the bass line of the piano part.
Berlioz’ Fantaisie sur la Tempête de Shakespeare was unknown to me and the sort of piece you have to ham up. I’m not sure where the (Italian) text came from but it didn’t have very much to do with the Bard! On the other hand the music had some characteristic key changes and turns of phrase, which has whetted my appetite for more Berlioz. Watch this space.
The second half consisted of Mendelssohn’s early setting of the Te Deum. I can’t think when I had to sing this many top B’s in an evening, and I have the impression Mendelssohn hadn’t quite understood the range of the voices he was writing for. (The piece also featured the most awkwardly exposed top B flat I’ve come across, and there is stiff competition.) Mendelssohn’s interest in Bach really comes over, with near-quotations from parts of the St Matthew Passion and B minor Mass.
The Chandos Singers were back singing carols beside the Roman Bath a week later. If one wraps up warm this must be a lovely venue to do this in, but I had to quite part way through the rehearsal as I could feel my temperature going up far above normal. I’ll have to hope that the choir gets invited back to sing another year.