Our first concert with new music director, Sarah Latto!
Portuguese Polyphony
Saturday 8 April 2017, 7.30 pm
St Swithin's Church, Walcot Street, Bath
Review by Antony Corfe
A new conductor, a new venue, a new sound; this excellent choir under the altogether different hand of Sarah Latto in St St Swithin’s Church.
After the generous acoustic ambience of St Alphege’s, their customary venue under Keith Bennett, nothing could be the same again. So, was the sound of the choir different because of the change in acoustic? No, I don’t think it was. It’s not a very rewarding process singing into a dry acoustic, as in St Swithin’s, but here the large audience was itself rewarded by a depth of warm, well projected openness.
Maybe the music didn’t call for many changes in dynamics and much of this lovely programme of 16th and 17th century music, mainly Portugese, but some Spanish, showed the choir in full voice – which was gorgeous. The more restrained passages were beautifully and delicately shaped, as were the changes in tempo.
There were a few fluffy moments, but then, who cares in an otherwise enriching and stimulating evening. It’s the speed and confidence in recovery that tells.
Keep an eye out for their next concert exploring odes to music from 1500 to the present day. 7th October. It’ll be good.
Programme:
Requiem a 6 - Introitus Duarte Lobo
Oculi mei Estevao Lopes Morago
Requiem a 6 - Kyrie Duarte Lobo
Virgen bendita sin par Pedro de Escobar
Missa pro defunctis - Graduale Manuel Cardoso
Panis angelicus Joao Lourenco Rebello
Missa pro defunctis - Offertorium Manuel Cardoso
Lacrimans sitivit anima mea Pedro de Cristo
Missa pro defunctis - Sanctus Manuel Cardoso
Ay mi Dios Pedro de Cristo
Requiem a 6 - Agnus Dei Duarte Lobo
Salve Regina Diogo Dias Melgas
Requiem a 6 - Communio Duarte Lobo
Trahe me post te Tomas Luis de Victoria