FINE CHORALE CONCERT

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33791, 13 March 1975, Page 19

FINE CHORALE CONCERT

As part of the current series of festival events, the Harmonic Chorale, conducted by Graham Hollobon, gave a lunch hour recital yesterday in the James Hay Theatre.

There was only a sparsei audience, and this is to be deplored for the singing was polished and the programme of high standard of musical worth. In a plenitude of

good concerts at this time, this concert will be remembered, particularly for the excellent performance of Hindemith’s Mass. Mr Hollobon kept his small band of singers under complete control; and poised balance and unanimity in expressive re-

sponse gave interesting choral expertise applied to a fine programme.

Three English madrigals by Dowland, Gibbons, and Weelkes, began the programme. The soprano tone in the first was rather dry and did not blend happily.

This was righted in “The Silver Swan,” but the me-1 lodies in the bass and tenor parts (of equal importance! with the soprano and alto; lines) could have stood out! more clearly, and have' added their contribution to! the contrapuntal texture in-1 stead of giving no more; than a murmured harmonic! background. Three French Chansons by; Clement Jannequin were! effectively performed. The I first was bawdy, and the! third also relied on the idea; that anything goes so long; as you sing it. However, the' music was charming.

The Hindemith Mass, first performed in Vienna just before his death, was a fascinating composition excellently presented. Mr Hollobon gave very helpful commentaries on the form and the harmonic and contrapuntal devices used in each of the six portions of the work. He made what was complicated and puzzling very much easier to understand and to appreciate at a first hearing. He showed how the writing, although uncompromisingly belonging to the twentieth century, is grounded firmly upon devices of the past, and, it may be added, that thereby an ancient tradition is renewed and fulfilled in this music. The sounds were strange at times, but the liturgical function was clearly preserved. The Kyrie was movingly beautiful, and the Gloria, in clashing harmonies, worked up to an intense climax. The Credo offered the firmest affirmations, with lovely sounds being heard in the Et Incarnatus, and thrilling and effervescent excitement at the Et Resurrexit. Each of the movements had strong individual character but splendidly cohesive atmosphere was preserved throughout the work. —C.F.B.