My first Mozartfest concert was The Sixteen in Bath Abbey. Having missed their ‘choral pilgrimage’ when it came to Wells a few weeks ago I wanted to catch them especially as they were doing Purcell.
Purcell is in fact a little outside their usual area and somehow this came over in the performances.
We heard the last part of The Indian Queen and the ode Come, Ye Sons of Arts. Yes, that is arts in the plural, as this performance used an edition informed by recent research, which attempted to undo what are believed to be later alterations. I was aware that it wasn’t quite the way I remembered it, but I’m not familiar enough with the piece (I’ve never performed it) to pick up all the details of the changes. Robin Blaze sang Handel’s Eternal source of light divine, which was one of the highlights of the concert and we also heard the overture to Saul.
The concert ended with Dixit Dominus by Handel, a piece I’ve performed with various groups. Tempi were very fast, in fact so much so that it appeared to demonstrate that they could perform the work that fast rather than to enhance the music.
The concert was popular and I was seated in the choir stalls behind the platform; it was appreciated that many of the choir turned round at the end to acknowledge our applause.