Renaissance gems, too

Press, 12 June 1978, Page 6

Renaissance gems, too

A distinguished standard; ; of performance was reached ■ yesterday afternoon in the C thedral of the Blessed Sacrament by the Jubilate . i Singers and the Venetian ; ; Brass Ensemble, conducted : I by Martin Setchell, and with ; the organ played by David • I Childs. They played music of the! i Italian Renaissance period.; land all of it with stylish', | flair. Two canzonas by Gabrieli and Grillo, and two pieces, i “La Foresta” and “La Organistina,” by Banchieri, one I of the earliest works to make use of echo effects, were played by the brass en-i semble. These instrumental’ works sounded well in the; building. whose excellent! acoustical qualities gavel.

good chance of blending and 1 of retaining clarity of parts. “Laudate Dominum,” by i Monteverdi, set for soloists, I choir, organ, and brass, had stirringly exact rhythm and 1 suave beauty of tone, to- 1 gether with care for clarity ] of words. It made this work, ; typical of the type of per- ; formance used in St Mark’s Venice, distinctive and en-! joyable. Viviani’s First Sonata for! Trumnet was played by Mark’; Hodgkinson, with Martin | Setchell at the organ. Mr I Hodgkinson’s virtuosity oni the trumpet is attracting able! notice, and this sonata, wide' in its expressive appeal,; showed up his skilful playing and his musicianship. Mr Setchell accompanied with admirable clarity and with;

well chosen colouring. A short, four-part Mass by; Monteverdi ended this styl-[ ish and delightful concert.! The choir was accompanied! by brass instruments and by ’ Mr Childs on the organ. He! played with effective re-[ straint. phrasing rhythmically. This Mass is very tellingly written, and shows Monteverdi’s dramatic gifts and also his liturgical sense. The grace of the writing was reflected in the smoothness and; care shown by the singers! and players, and particularly , Iby Mr Setchell’s skilled and! erudite direction. There was lyrical charm in the performance, and a commendable brevity as well. A large and appreciative audi-, , ence was present.