Cecilian Singers

Press, 23 November 1987, Page 6

Cecilian Singers

The Cecilian Singers, conducted by Nan Anderson, at St Luke’s Church, Novemher 22, 3.M p.m. Reviewed by Philip Norman.

A$ a venue for choral concerts, St Luke’s Church is one I am not familiar with.

The recital there yesterday afternoon fevealed an acoustic that offers reasonable support to the human voice without shrouding It in excessive reverberation. If anything, it errs on the dry side; a quality that enabled one to appreciate fully the finely-crafted detail in the performances given by the Cecilian Singers. Clearly this women’s chorus of 21 sinners had undergone extensive prenftiwtion for the recital. Not only were ail the notes thoroughly mastered, but also the interpretation of each work was enriched W ■«» unending variety of dynamics and tonal shading;. A Meh standard of musicianship and choralexcellence WMsustainedthroughout from the beautifully floated opening ?f BrtSms' “Vler, Grange” through to the expertly of Rrittan’s “A Ceremony of Carols. ■nS» in the delivery of Ave verum cq&us,” where ■« ««»*■

Ing, when considering the scores for this work arrived in Christchurch less than a fortnight ago. The highlight of the concert was undoubtedly the spine-tingling treatment offered Poulenc’s “Litanies a la Vierge Noire.” In this work, the combination of youthful tone, sensitive direction, and expressive muscle carried a powerful emotional punch. , That the programme featured several guest artists added additional elements of Interest to the proceedings. Anna Christensen on harp gave a sparkling account of Faure’s “Impromptu Op. 86” and provided a splendid accompaniment to Britten’s "A Ceremony of Carols.” The organist, Graham Hollobon, offered a well-considered appraisal of Bridge’s “Adagio in E major” and Bach’s “Fugue in G major,” and a discreetly placed accompaniment for Poulenc's "Litanies.” The horn lines in “Vier Gesange" were taken by David Smale and william Young; Richard Corballis punctuated the musical textures with mellifluous readings of apposite texts. For the over-all success of the concert though, all credit is due to the group’s director and conductor, Nan Anderson. The precision and anneal of the choral sound and the attnßive packaging of the recital are a dirwu testimony to her musical and adminißative skills as a choral teacher and musician.