The Sixteen’s twenty fifth Choral Pilgrimage strikes from the twelfth century to the current day however it’s early Tudor polyphony that stays within the reminiscence

Harry Christophers and his singers’ strategy to Hildegard of Bingen’s hymn Ave generosa was dignified, preserving the expressive simplicity and directness of the music. Verses sung by the ladies of the choir over a violin drone alternated with verses sung by solo soprano with drone from alto voices. The outcomes had a powerful presence, with an important sense of expressive line. This was not aethereal Hildegard of Bingen however mirrored the sibyl of the Rhine’s dynamic character.

Each of John Taverner’s works within the programme have been large-scale devotional items, Marian antiphons that may have been sung after Compline slightly than throughout the liturgy. Gaude plurimum, in all probability courting from the early a part of the reign of King Henry VIII, glories within the florid writing and got here in at round 12 minutes lengthy. Possibilities to listen to works this complicated and this measurement are comparatively uncommon and The Sixteen are to be complimented on their daring. And judging by the substantial home (the church regarded full) they’re carrying their viewers with them.

For a lot of Gaude plurimum, Taverner used small teams of voices and The Sixteen’s robust sense of expressive line gave the music an attention-grabbing mixture of richness and austerity. Solely in verse two did Taverner launch the total glory of the entire choir, making a wealthy tapestry of music however in subsequent tutti moments  I cherished the beautiful sprung element in particular person strains. For the ultimate three verses Taverner appears to re-traverse present materials, however in fact issues will not be the identical. I notably famous right here the ecstatic high quality that the singers dropped at the melismatic passages. Early Tudor composers have been very large on melisma, with phrases taking a secondary place, however throughout Taverner’s lifetime the strategy modified and in his music you possibly can hear that development. Even a piece like Gaude plurimumi has slightly extra syllables per web page than, say, Robert Fayrfax. The ending, when it got here rose to a gloriously wealthy tapestry of polyphony.

Taverner’s O splendor gloriae in all probability dates from later, from the 1530s and has a component of pragmatism in that the writing remains to be elaborate however the floridness is tempered by a definite strategy to the phrases. Christophers took the piece at fairly a flowing tempo and the singers combined heat and energy of their particular person strains. The primary tutti, to the phrase ‘Salve’ had an actual heat to it, and subsequent passages have been energetic with some vigour and an important consideration to element in particular person strains. But Christophers by no means overpassed the bigger construction and we led on to a positively rapturous conclusion.

We had three works by Arvo Pärt, all comparatively acquainted and a part of The Sixteen’s general repertoire, forming a neat ninetieth birthday tribute. Within the first half got here his English setting of A Tribute to Caesar, in a gradual, managed efficiency which highlighted the way in which Pärt creates expressive modifications through the colorations of various choral textures, making a exceptional expressive vary on a comparatively small canvas. The same strategy could possibly be seen with Da Pacem Domine, the primary Arvo Pärt work within the second half the place Pärt makes use of his tintinnabuli approach to create what is basically a hocket. Effectively balanced and thought of, the singers made these particular person notes coalesce right into a higher complete. The ultimate Pärt work was his Latin Magnificat, bigger in scale but all the time with a way of constructing from smaller blocks of color. There was a managed depth to the singing right here, together with a naturalness within the putting of the person blocks of color. The climaxes, after they got here, had a centered depth, the entire all the time centred and extra all the way down to earth than aethereal.

Will Todd’s setting of John Henry Newman, I shall be an angel of peace for choir and solo violin was commissioned in 2021 by the Genesis Basis for The Sixteen. It started with the lyric melancholy of the solo violin, Sarah Sexton, accompanied by wordless choir. When Todd introduced within the phrases he mixed dense, wealthy choral harmonies with a solo violin line weaving its method out and in. The language right here was unashamed in its wealthy romanticism, but with a touching use of concord. Even when the music moved method from quiet poise into one thing extra energetic, neither voices nor violin overshadowed the opposite. Todd has created a poised and expressive mixture of the 2.

Anna Clyne’s Orbits was commissioned by The Sixteen particularly to associate Will Todd’s piece. Clyne units phrases by Rilke in an English translation by Robert Bly. Not precisely non secular, the strains embrace ‘I’m circling round God’. The work is in placing distinction to Todd’s piece which labored nicely within the context of this programme, giving every half a distinct focus.

Clyne started with vigorous, virtually athletic violin writing that had a distinctly folk-inspired really feel to it, and this athletic, folk-like feeling continued within the slightly interesting choral textures, all; striding strains and interesting textures. There have been moments when the violin got here to the fore, however it was very a lot a piece for refrain and violin. Clyne repeated sections of the phrases, creating her personal construction which all the time returned to these partaking opening bars. The work closed with interesting vigour and you are feeling that it is a work that ought to have a major recognition.

Every time The Sixteen presents a Choral Pilgrimage you wonder if Harry Christophers should return over earlier floor, however in some way he by no means fairly does. This programme was in some methods the combination as earlier than, but made up of various components which introduced a brand new solid to the night. Each Will Todd and Anna Clyne’s works have been approachable, but every definitely had the energy and confidence to type the main target of every half of the night. But what stayed within the reminiscence was the gloriously florid, large-scale Taverner items. They labored nicely sufficient within the 18th century splendour of St Martin within the Fields however I longed to listen to them in actual Gothic environment. 

PROGRAMME

Hildegard of Bingen Ave, Generosa
Arvo Pärt Tribute to Caesar
Will Todd I shall be an angel of peace
John Taverner Gaude plurimum
Hildegard of Bingen Ave, Generosa
Arvo Pärt Da pacem Domine
Anna Clyne Orbits
Arvo Pärt Magnificat
John Taverner O splendor gloriae