Reviews

Virginia Chorale: Sing We Nowell
December 9, 2019, Christ & St. Luke's Church
Review by John Campbell

The lovely, Gothic interior with a fine organ was a great space for this Christmas-themed program that included music for Chanukah. Kevin Kwan was organist and Charles Woodward conducted eighteen members of the Virginia Chorale. The program opened with a joyful setting of Psalm 139 and Amos 5:8: Seek Him that maketh the Seven Stars by Jonathan Dove (b. 1959). He captures a sense of grandeur with his sparkling use of high organ registers. The sweet, high voices and bell-like organ accompaniment repeat the brief text many times as the sound blossoms into a stunning meditation that “turns the shadow of death into morning—yea, the darkness shineth as the day, the night is light about me, Alleluia.” The singing was luminous.

Michael Praetorius (1571-1621) was the lead composer for a series of three songs that celebrate the Rose (Jesus) that springs from Mary (Jesus' pure mother). Es ist ein Ros entsprungen (A rose has sprouted). The unison harmonies break into various streams of melody in There is no rose set by Simon Preston (b.1938). A Spotless Rose by Herbert Howells (1892-1983)featured bass John Tyndall with chorus and it was English choral lovely. Wrapping-up this set was Ave Maria set by Franz Biebl (1906-2001). Bass Andrew Lusher opened with “The angel of God visited Mary and she conceived of the Holy Spirit” and the chorus followed with “Hail Mary full of Grace” and the soprano voices soared to the rafters. A more formal address to the Lady followed: ”Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners...now and at the hour of our death. Amen.” Their sound transported us to another world.

Then followed the centerpiece of the program. For Rejoice in the Lamb, Op. 30, Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) chose to set extracts of Christopher Smart's (1722-1771) marvellous though extremely strange Jubilate Agno, written when he was confined to an asylum. Fortunately Charles Woodward encouraged the audience to read the text as it was sung. Poet Smart's theme was the worship of God by all things, each in his own way—his cat Jeoffry, the mouse of great personal valor threatened by the cat and even flowers. Looked at with innocent eyes, the whimsy of the text and the superb musical setting, wonderfully sung, made this the most exciting work of the program. Corbin Pinto sang the treble role of the cat, alto Lynn Kotrady the mouse and Christopher Burnett the flowers in very sweet tones. Kevin Kwan's organ ends each section with a musical comment. The full chorus tells of Christ's delivery from his twelve hardships. Then bass Michael Kotrady with chorus tells us the H, K, L, M of God as Holy Spirit, king, love and music. From there, musical instruments are cited with rhyming words that seem related to the sounds the instruments suggest, concluding with “For God the Father Almighty plays upon the HARP of stupendous magnitude and melody.” Perhaps it is a sound that only a mad mystic can hear so that “malignity ceases and the devils themselves are at peace. For this time is perceptible to man by a remarkable stillness and serenity of soul.” In the end I was left feeling great compassion for the poet and all of us on this our life's journey.

Fortunately Chanukah, the first day of winter and Christmas were all clustered together this year. After intermission, three selections celebrating Chanukah were featured. Maoz Tzur (arr. Samuel Adler) is a traditional Chanukah song. Mi Zeh Hidlik (arr. Steve Barnett)is about lighting candles and featured the voice of alto Bonnie Lambert-Baxter who achieved a deep sound of pathos over a dancing rhythm. Bass John Tyndall was featured in Mi Zeh Y'maleil, based on a Sephardic folksong (arr. Joshua R. Jacobson) recounting the history of the Jewish people surviving over the centuries.

Returning to Christmas songs, the Chorale sang The Oxen by Jonathan Rathbone (b. 1957), who led the Swingle Singers for many years. Rathbone used old harmonies to set Thomas Hardy's words: “If someone said on Christmas eve Come; see the oxen kneel I would go with him in the gloom, Hoping it might be so.” Two arrangements by English composer and choral director David Wilcocks (1919-2015) followed. Sussex Carol captured the joy of the birth on Christmas night. Bass Frank Mitchell was featured in Quelle est cette odeur agréable (What is this pleasant fragrance?). The organ opened and closed the lovely French carol with the women singing the first verse, alternating with the men. It was concluded by Mr. Mitchell's deep bass voice praising the Almighty: “Let universal peace and grace everywhere abound.” O Come, all ye faithful captured the grandeur of the occasion.

The raucous encore was a fun setting of the honking, quacking Twelve Days of Christmas which jollied the audience mightily.