In the concert in Padua the choir additionally performed Gabriel
Fauré’s Requiem, a work the choir has recently recorded, and
will launch in a concert performance on Saturday 8 July. The first
motet - God is gone up by Arthur Hutchings (1906-89) was a
relatively simple affair for the choir (even in the elevated key of
C major), but the second O Rex gloriæ by Andrea Gabrieli
(1532-85) was in a polyphonic style not often encountered by the
large choral society, and stretched us into five parts. The third
motet - Cœlos ascendit hodie by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford
(1852-1924) was already known to the choir from their performance of
it at the Mass at the Vatican in 2011, and so the double-choir
eight-part writing was not a particular challenge. The same couldn’t
be said of the final motet - Buccinate in Neomenia tuba by
Giovanni Croce (1557-1609) where the double-choir, eight-part
writing was much more challenging, especially in its quick
syncopations and polyrhythms. Nevertheless, even in the huge
acoustics of St Mark’s Basilica the dancing sound world came across.
We were delighted to receive a round of applause from the
congregation as we concluded our participation in the Mass, and
Canons Camilotto and Barlese praised the choir for their singing,
and invited us back to sing again.
Breakfast at the Hotel
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After our Concert in Padua
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Before Mass at St Mark's
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Gabriel Fauré’s (1877-1962) Requiem was far less of a
challenge, though the large number of singers in the choir meant
that we had to stand at the back of the church of St Nicolò in order
to balance with the organ (situated in a gallery at the back of the
church) and to allow sightlines with our wonderful organist Alvise
Pellegrini, who lives and works in the UK (and regularly accompanies
the choir at Olney where our MD is also Director of Music), but who
hails from Padua, and was able to secure the opportunity to sing in
this fine church. Alison Barnes and Michael Waterfield sang the
soprano and baritone solos with style and aplomb, and we received
generous and hearty applause from the audience. |
