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Winchester Cathedral Saturday 8 December 2007 by Derek Beck
The perennial Christmas wish, 'Peace on earth', was the title of an imaginative programme of seasonal choral music performed by the Waynflete Singers and Southern Sinfonia before a good audience in Winchester Cathedral. The words In Terra Pax were also the title of the least familiar item, a setting of St. Luke and Robert Bridges by the tragically short-lived British composer GeraldFinzi. Narration was here provided by a warm-toned chorus and a clear-toned solo soprano with a sympathetic setting of Bridge's poetry sung by the baritone soloist.
'The multitude of the heavenly host' produced a gorgeous climax from the choir and there was much sensitive softplaying from the orchestra in this composer's pastoral English manner. The Finzi was framed by two positively filmic scores. Poulenc's Gloria, with its fanfare-like brasswriting, Hollywood-rich harmonies and tongue-in-cheek mis-accentuations of its Latin text, made aan arresting opener with rhythmic clarity from the chorus and awesome precision from the soprano soloist.
The entire second half of the evening was devoted to Vaughan Williams's rarely performed Christmas cantata Hodie with Biblical words and verses from Milton, Herbert, Hardy and others. The sycopated Alleluias at the start recalled Poulenc's humour whilst the haunting solo sopranoLullaby reflected the work's dedicatee Herbert Howells. Most reminiscent of film-scores was thevivid March of the Three Kings. Here woodwind, brass and percussion on their raised dais wereaptly imposing. Elsewhere their prominence threatened a satisfactory balance between instruments and voices. Low instrumental pitches fill the Cathedral space in a way which can over-whelm singers.
The Waynflete sound remained rich and disciplined especially in Vaughan Williams's two unaccompanied chorales. The real stars of Hodie were the nine Cathedral choristers who sangthe largely unmetered narrations with cool professionalism and consummate unanimity. The evening's three soloists were tenor William Kendall, ever at home with English music in theseacoustics, baritone Dawid Kimberg, impressively lyrical despite feeling unwell on the day, and former Hampshire Singer of the Year soprano Anna Dennis. Participating in all three works Annadisplayed total security and a wonderful range of vocal colours in all registers. Only the more heavily scored passages detracted from the contributions of these fine singers. Andrew Lumsden conducted with stylistic conviction throughout.
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This page updated 16 December 2007
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