Choir of King’s College

Press, 5 September 1983, Page 8

Choir of King’s College

The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, director Stephen Cleobury, at the Town Hall Auditorium, Saturday, September 3, 8 p.m. Reviewed by John Farnsworth. The choir, of King’s College, Cambridge, arrived and left with a formidable reputation, famous for its recordings of sacred music, in particular. This is the choirs first tour of New Zealand. In all, 30 cassocked choristers, conducted by the glacial Stephen Cleobury, presented seven unaccompanied pieces, interspersed with items by the organ scholar, David Briggs. The choir’s sound, as on record, was sonorous, ethereal, and remote, with impeccable phrasing, an unwavering sense of pitch, and a seemingly effortless command of complex entries and counterpoint. It was distinguished, too, by the discipline, ability, and purity of the trebles. Yet at times, an evening of such sensibility and restraint seemed better suited to th# chapel than the concerwhall. This was com- |

pounded by a rigorous programme, in which much of the music was written for loftier purposes than mere entertainment In this respect, the relentlessly unvaried massed singing could well have benefited from the occasional use of smaller vocal groups or accompaniment The concert opened with three English songs: an exultant psalm by Gibbons, a more austere ' piece by Whyte with strands of Plainsong, and a pleasingly vigorous work by Philips. Each received an attentive, finely gauged reading. They were followed by a cheery set of Sweelinck’s organ variations played by David Briggs, who was almost obscured by the organ, except for a dancing topknot The centrepiece of the first half was Byrd’s rarely performed Mass for Five Voices. This restrained but beautiful music was sung with a sense of commitment and style which fittingly earned warm applause. The reservation was that jthe sheer weight of 30 Roices tended to smother

the textures of five individual vocal parts. The second half consisted of five pieces, of which the most demanding were also the most attractive — the coupling of Brahms and Bruckner motets. The charming Bruckner was performed with clarity and grace, while the choir handled the intricacies of the Brahms serenely, apart from slight swooping by the trebles.

Meanwhile David Briggs dashed off a pair of Bach harpsichord works and was joined by an unnamed chorister, who flung aside his cassock for a boisterous recital of a four-handed Mozart piano sonata. “Vox Dicenti,” by Naylor, ended the concert For once, the choir threw off its restraint, and in spite of some vocal roughness which had accumulated over the evening, sang with volume and vitality. In all, it must be hoped that the choir returns soon. Immaculate vocal work of this quality is too rarely encountered in New Zealand. ■'