Concert 5: Saturday 7 December at 8 pm
Xavier College Chapel, Barkers Rd, Kew
Subscription Concert 5
Due to illness, the planned concert of Jacobean music with viols and organ was postponed until 2014.
For their final concert for 2013, Ensemble Gombert’s Christmas to Candlemas concert also spans the centuries. Francis Poulenc completed his Four Motets for Christmas Time in 1952, and held them in very high regard amongst his choral pieces. They are also great favourites among choirs and audiences.
Ensemble Gombert, directed by John O’Donnell, presents each of Poulenc’s Christmas motets along with two Renaissance settings of the same text. Herbert Howells’ atmospheric Nunc dimittis also receives the same treatment. The Renaissance pieces include many perennial Ensemble Gombert favourites.
| Program | |
|---|---|
| Hodie Christus natus est | Francis Poulenc (1899–1963) Andrea Gabrieli (1532/3–1585) Giovanni Bassano (1560/1–1617) |
| O magnum mysterium | Francis Poulenc Nicolas Gombert (c.1495-c.1560) Clemens non Papa (1510/15–1555/6) |
| Quem vidistis, pastores? | Francis Poulenc Tomás Lis de Victoria (1548-1611) Richard Dering (c.1580–1630) |
| Videntes stellam | Francis Poulenc Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525–1594) Orlande de Lassus (1532–1594) |
| Nunc dimittis | Herbert Howells (1892–1983) Costanzo Festa (c.1490–1545) Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina |
SINGERS
| Soprano Deborah Summerbell Carol Veldhoven Katherine Norman Maria Pisani Claerwen Jones Kathryn Pisani |
Alto Belinda Wong Yi Wen Chin Niki Ebacioni Rebecca Collins |
Tenor Peter Campbell Tim van Nooten Vaughan McAlley Stuart Tennant |
Bass Andrew Murray Thomas Bland Thomas Baldwin Mike Ormerod |
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REVIEW
Monday, 9 December 2013, The Age [Melbourne], n.p.
Brandenburg and Gombert ensembles serve very different Christmas fare
Clive O’Connell
Noel Noel: Christmas To Candlemas
Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and Choir
Melbourne Recital Centre, December 7;
Ensemble Gombert
Xavier College Chapel, December 7
Just like last year, these two ensembles presented contrasting programs on the same evening. For a full Murdoch Hall, Paul Dyer and his Sydney visitors went for a stroll around and beyond the Christmas repertoire, the Brandenburg Choir at its best in firmly drawn versions of two Anglican favourites in Hosanna to the Son of David and Farrant’s Lord, For Thy Tender Mercy’s Sake, later showing more well-balanced ensemble in Silent Night with verses sung in German, Gaelic, Welsh and a reassuring English to finish, followed by a gutsy O Come, All Ye Faithful.
Christine Leonard’s saxophone reappeared, as clear-cut as last time, complemented by Matthew Manchester expertly alternating between cornetto, tin whistle, border pipe and the drone-like Hummelchen. The rest of the ABO ensemble comprised five strings, Tommie Anderson’s guitars, a chamber organ and some percussion, with Dyer hamming it up at the harpsichord. The vocal soloist, countertenor Maximilian Riebl, was exercised throughout. With a well-projected voice that still has much to learn about breath control and phrasing, Riebl led the Wexford Carol and Rolf Lovland’s Raise Your Voices!
Some aberrations crept in, like a camped-up Santa Baby and a glee-club White Christmas. But the reception was consistently warm.
John O’Donnell and his formidable ensemble chose five seasonal texts, then illustrated their interpretations by various composers. Poulenc’s Quatre motets and Herbert Howells’ Nunc dimittis opened each segment, followed by settings from notable Renaissance masters – Clemens non Papa, Victoria, Palestrina, Lassus and Gombert (naturally).
The modern works came over with considerable flair, as did some of the earlier-composer pieces, like Clemens’ haunting O Magnum Mysterium and Richard Dering’s concise Quem vidistis setting.
But the group’s vocal mix is less coherent than in previous years, not as emotionally transporting. An over-prominent tenor, ragged high soprano entries and an underpowered bass line distracted from the occasional flashes of glowing choral meshes that used to be consistent fare at these recitals.
Clive O’Connell/Courtesy of The Age