This DVD contains the series of four programmes, each lasting
about 30 minutes, that Howard Goodall made for the UK television
company, Channel 4, in 1997. There’s also a bonus in the
shape of thirteen short pieces sung by some of the choirs seen
in the films themselves. I’m sorry if any information as
to the contents is missing from this review but my copy lacked
a booklet.
Howard Goodall has established quite a reputation for himself
in recent years as a composer - especially successful in his
writing for TV series - and as a broadcaster about music. In
the broadcast medium his light, approachable style and his boundless
enthusiasm for the subject in hand make him a convincing and
generally pleasing guide to music, although some may agree with
me that sometimes his delivery style is a bit excessive - I wish
he wouldn’t roll his Rs as much as he does!
In this series he explores some highly contrasting choral traditions
and types of choirs. In the second programme he considers the
very formal establishment that is a typical English cathedral
choir. However, characteristically, Goodall brings out the less
formal side of these choirs. We see him visiting his
alma
mater, Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, where he himself
sang in the choir as a student and we get an enjoyable look behind
the scenes at the life of the young choristers. Angelic they
may look - and sound - when robed and in the choir stalls but
these are lively, not to say precocious, young boys and an engaging
portrait of these talented young singers emerges. I like the
way also that in part of the programme Goodall engages with a
new choral scholar, recalling his own initiation into the Christ
Church choir. There’s also a glimpse of what was in 1997
a relatively recent innovation: girl choristers in an Anglican
cathedral - in this case, Salisbury, the English cathedral that
really innovated in this respect.
There’s something of a common thread in the programmes
on the choirs of South Africa and the USA. The American programme
focuses on the Afro-American Gospel choirs of the Deep South
and in the South African programme he considers the Zulu singing
tradition. In both programmes Goodall’s examples and narrative
bring out the extent to which music was a powerful form of expression
for oppressed people - the indigenous South Africans and the
Afro-Americans, descended from the slave population. In both
cases it’s remarkable - and rather moving - to witness
the sheer vibrancy of much of the singing. It’s completely
natural and you feel that the music really
matters to
these people.
In the South African programme there’s quite a focus on
the small male ensemble, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, which became
famous particularly as collaborators with Paul Simon. The only
quibble I have with their contribution is that they have been
filmed in a recording studio and their performances, while impressive,
lack the passion and sheer verve of some of the other Zulu choirs
we see and hear.
The Gospel film, like the one devoted to the Zulus, takes us
right to grass roots and once again the enthusiasm and commitment
of the singers is plain to see and hear. Goodall demonstrates
the fusion between the old Spirituals and the traditional Methodist
hymns that produced the Gospel music of today. It results in
a very powerful and sincere expression of faith on the part of
ordinary people.
The last of the four films takes us to Eastern Europe and to
what may be for some viewers the most revelatory examples of
choral singing in Goodall’s mini-tour. First he goes to
Bulgaria and looks at the folk music tradition. The singing we
hear is very much based on work songs and it’s a rural
tradition, all tied up with the back-breaking work done in the
fields over the centuries. What is particularly striking is that
this appears to be an entirely female vocal tradition. I don’t
know what role, if any, male singers play in this tradition but
they are entirely absent from Goodall’s film and one gets
the impression that it’s always been the women who toil
in the fields and who have sung these songs down the ages. One
of the choirs Goodall shows us is a modern choir, Cosmic Voices.
This again entirely comprises female singers, who combine traditional
music with modern close harmonies.
And the distaff side is to the fore again when, in the second
part of the film, Goodall moves on to Estonia. Once again, we
find choral singing played an important part in a liberation
struggle. Goodall relates how public demonstrations, involving
singing, played an important role in the overthrow of Communism
- the Singing Revolution. Again we hear only female choirs. One
rather moving moment occurs during a concert by the Academic
Female Choir of Tartu University. The choir begins to sing a
song,
Mu Isamaa (‘My Fatherland’) and silently
the whole audience stands - the complete performance is included
in the bonus programme.
The bonus programme, ‘Choirs Perform’ consists of
thirteen short but complete items sung by the various choirs
that are featured in the four films. Some of the items have been
heard in part during the films but others can be heard only in
the bonus programme. It’s a good selection and the performances
are all very enjoyable and of a uniformly high standard.
The ‘Choir Works’ programmes are lively, entertaining
and informative. Goodall is a bright and breezy guide but his
light style should not be mistaken for superficiality: he knows
what he’s talking about and his enthusiasm for the subject
and his desire to communicate his enthusiasm to the viewer is
refreshing. Sometimes his presentational style grates a little:
in general he comes across much more naturally when he’s
interviewing someone during the films than when he’s doing
a voice-over commentary. These commentaries sometimes sound a
little contrived. However, anyone interested in choral music
will find much to interest and entertain in this collection of
films.
John Quinn
rec. 1997 
[145:00] 
