{"id":30346,"date":"2022-08-23T11:11:38","date_gmt":"2022-08-23T01:11:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/soundslikesydney.com.au\/?p=30346"},"modified":"2022-08-23T11:11:38","modified_gmt":"2022-08-23T01:11:38","slug":"concert-review-rays-of-light-choir-of-st-james-nelson-knox","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/soundslikesydney.com.au\/?p=30346","title":{"rendered":"Concert Review: Rays of Light\/ Choir of St James’\/ Nelson\/Knox"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Rays of Light\/ Choir of St James’\/ Alistair Nelson and Callum Knox, organ<\/em><\/p>\n

Warren Trevelyan-Jones director<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

St James’ King Street, Sydney<\/em><\/p>\n

20 August, 2022<\/i><\/p>\n

In the way that painters portrayed light in painting, the Choir of St James\u2019 with organist Alistair Nelson and organ scholar Callum Knox, under the direction of Warren Trevelyan-Jones presented <\/span>Rays of Light<\/em>, a concert program themed around the many depictions of light and darkness in sacred music, highlighting its power to redeem, lighten and uplift.<\/span><\/p>\n

The first segment of this program contained music by composers from the 16<\/span>th<\/sup> century, beginning with Thomas Tallis\u2019 classic <\/span>O Nata Lux<\/em> in 5 parts. The ensemble maintained a mysterious intensity through the mostly homophonic structure with excellent cohesion, dynamic control and contrast establishing a high bar for the rest of the program and dwelling deliciously on the \u2018false relation\u2019 at the close of this single-versed hymn.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whilst Sydney audiences occasionally get to hear choral music of the Spanish renaissance, it is rare to hear contemporaneous music from Portugal. The <\/span>Missa O Soberana Lux <\/em>by the Portuguese composer Filipe de Magalh\u00e3es did not seem to have a distinctly Iberian flavour but was a beautiful curiosity, full of evocative word-painting and effective part-writing. The movements of the mass were separated by Byrd\u2019s radiant 6-part motet <\/span>O lux beata Trinitas <\/em>placed after the Kyrie, with its plangent soprano line and the splendid Gloria, ahead of the remaining three sections of the mass.  The final section of <\/span>O lux beata Trinitas<\/em> offered a change of metre couching rich and robust lines, followed by a rapid reset to the reverence of Magalh\u00e3es\u2019 Sanctus and Benedictus, and the cascading sighs of the Agnus Dei. <\/span>Robert White\u2019s intriguing motet <\/span>Christus qui lux est et dies<\/em> rounded out this bracket. The third of four different settings by White, a graceful yet austere plainchant performed by a well-blended bass section alternated with rich 5-part polyphony through its 7 verses.  <\/span><\/p>\n

The second part of <\/span>Rays of Light<\/em> moved to more contemporary repertoire dating from the 19<\/span>th<\/sup> century onwards and included two solos from the ensemble\u2019s two gifted organists, performed on the church\u2019s soon to be replaced organ. Th\u00e9odore Dubois\u2019s <\/span>Fiat Lux<\/em> played brilliantly by Alistair Nelson began as a mere whisper and swelled to a declamatory and joyful proclamation sprinkled with toccata-like passages. One of Dubois\u2019 <\/span>Douze pi\u00e8ces nouvelles pour orgue<\/em> published in 1892, the title <\/span>Fiat Lux<\/em> is taken from the biblical book of Genesis and translates to \u201cLet there be Light\u201d, narrating the earth\u2019s journey from dark shapelessness to the wonders of creation. Later, Callum Knox, who also sang tenor in the choir, entertained with his performance of Bob Chilcott\u2019s <\/span>Sun Dance<\/em>, derived from the fifth movement of Chilcott\u2019s <\/span>Organ Dances<\/em> for organ solo, strings, and percussion. Knox gave a deft account of this piece with its multi-metric rhythms and syncopation sparking a jaunty feel.<\/span><\/p>\n

Elgar\u2019s <\/span>Light of the World <\/em>with Alistair Nelson at the organ accompanying the choir, drew broad sweeping phrases and descending arpeggios from the keyboard, the organ falling away briefly before a punctuated close. Cecilia McDowall\u2019s unaccompanied <\/span>God is Light, <\/em>Jonathan Dove\u2019s gorgeously full-throated <\/span>Ecce beatem lucem <\/em>with its <\/span>subito<\/em> drop in mood and hymn-like ending, were followed by John Rutter\u2019s <\/span>Hymn to the Creator of Light<\/em>, a thrilling version of Butterley\u2019s <\/span>Morning Fanfare<\/em> and Eric Whitacre\u2019s <\/span>Sleep<\/em>, sung with fine control, texture and technique, swinging between the comforting release of slumber and the fear of drifting into the sub-conscious. Harold Arlen\u2019s <\/span>Over the Rainbow<\/em> provided a contemporary, if somewhat disparate ending, with a welcome encore performance of John David\u2019s <\/span>You Are the New Day<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 18-voice choral ensemble contained several fresh faces perhaps pointing the way for a new generation of specialist chamber singers. They know their venue well, singing there regularly at liturgical services and in their annual concert series. This experience was used to maximal effect, with the early repertoire performed from further back in the church near the sanctuary of the altar and below the dome, allowing for more reverberation. The modern repertoire was sung from closer in at the transept, giving a brighter, more immediate sound.<\/span><\/p>\n

While there were moments when individual voices rose above the others, overall, this was a beautifully curated and concise program which examined its theme from many angles and performance styles with exemplary choral singing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shamistha de Soysa for SoundsLikeSydney\u00a9<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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