Listeners used to hearing The Sixteen in its most familiar role as interpreter par excellence of challenging a cappella chamber choir repertoire, from Renaissance to 20th century, or in its other role with orchestra in Baroque and later works, will be in for a new experience in this oddly chosen but still very well sung program of standard British cathedral choir pieces. I’m not sure why Harry Christophers decided to employ his elite voices in this kind of “broad brush” repertoire–and in an acoustic that proves more combative than complementary; but he suggests that it has something to do with tradition and familiarity–“it’s music that all of us in The Sixteen grew up with”–and the fact that these are among the most highly regarded works of a particular era of English church music.
If you know this repertoire, you’ll recognize all of the selections, from Parry’s I was glad and Charles Wood’s O Thou, the central orb and Hail, gladdening light to Stainer’s I saw the Lord and Howells’ classic (and disc highlight) Like as the hart. Nearly all of these works feature significant organ accompaniment (admirably dispatched by the barely credited Robert Quinney) and, except for Stanford’s beloved motet Beati quorum via and Parry’s My soul, there is a country, we hear only some of this ensemble’s famously nuanced, refined qualities and well-matched vocal balances.
But these big cathedral works demand, well, a big cathedral sound, and that’s mostly what we get, even though we might find the choirs of Canterbury or Westminster or Gloucester or St. Paul’s or Christ Church more fully equipped for the task. Even with a first-rate production team the untamed acoustic gets the better of the always well-mannered and rightly expressive voices and organ; and yet, fans of cathedral performances will be used to this and likely won’t mind. And although you may sense that this isn’t quite Sixteen territory, in the end the exuberant, uplifting spirit of the music takes over and leaves you happier for the 72 minutes you spent listening. (Another plus–a list of publishers is given for the works performed.) [6/18/2009]
