Sometimes too great a choice can be a bad thing. When composers are as productive
as, say, Haydn, Bach or Mozart a listener attracted by the handful
of well-known works may well find themselves confused by the
array of works to which they could go next. Those with a passion
for the music of, say, Duruflé will not have this problem,
but admirers of Mendelssohn may well do. If you know Elijah,
have just heard St Paul, where should you go next in
exploring his choral music on disc? Here is a very good answer
to that, offering a range of his shorter religious choral music
in generally excellent performances that are well recorded and
well presented.
The best known item here - Hear my prayer - is given
a very committed performance that can stand comparison with
almost any. Here and throughout the disc a listener unaware
of the performers would be likely simply to assume that this
is a traditional cathedral choir of boys and men. In fact it
consists of the Abbey’s Girls Choir together with the
(male) lay clerks. I am unclear as to whether this means that
the alto line is sung by members of both groups, but that line
is certainly less inclined to inaudibility than can be the case
with traditional choirs. Even the soloist in this item - Laura
Hicks, a former member of the Girls Choir, sounds for the most
part uncannily boyish in her tone although a more obviously
female voice may be closer to what the composer expected.
The other vocal soloist is the tenor Philip Salmon who sings
the unaccompanied start of the Ave Maria with formidable
strength but also a noticeable but not unattractive wobble.
The other vocal items are choral including several items for
female voices only. All tend to be brief with the exception
of the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis written for
the Anglican liturgy near the end of the composer’s life.
Whilst this setting is not amongst Mendelssohn’s best
works it is surprising that it turns up so rarely in cathedral
service lists. Perhaps it is sung more frequently at St Albans,
and if they sing it as well as they do here attendance at Evensong
should be an enlivening experience. Throughout this disc there
is a sense of real enthusiasm and musicianship which makes listening
to it in part or even as a whole a very great pleasure.
There is one item for solo organ, played by Tom Winpenny; Peter
Holder accompanies elsewhere where necessary. The Allegro, Chorale
and Fugue is a fine piece not published in the composer’s
lifetime and rarely played in concerts. This clear and energetic
performance brings out its best qualities and is one of the
highlights of the disc. Tom Winpenny also provides good booklet
notes. There is a full list of the members of the choirs together
with full texts and translations. All in all this is a refreshing,
enjoyable and well filled disc which can be commended to anyone
who wants to explore the composer’s choral music further.
John Sheppard
.
St Albans Abbey Girls Choir; Lay Clerks of St Albans Cathedral Choir/Tom
Winpenny (organ); Peter Holder (organ) 