‘Magical Mozart by Candlelight’ - 3.04.03

[Review: St John’s, Smith Square, London] Stephen Pettitt: April 2003, Evening Standard

For this final concert in the illustrious Chamber Orchestra of Europe’s short series at St John’s, they were joined last night by the choir Tenebrae, brainchild of former member of the King’s Singers, Nigel Short. Its members come from two contrasting traditions, that of the cathedral choir and that of the opera chorus. This combination of voice-types results in fruity sound with a rare clarity of articulation and purity of blend. Already it’s clearly a first-class, well-drilled ensemble.

The main piece in this candle-lit programme (in aid of the charity Hope and Homes for Children, and recorded by Warner) was Motzart’s Requiem. Short’s conducting style is admirably unostentatious, and he directed a reading both dramatic and devout, the choir’s excellence complemented by the refinement and generous colouring of the COE’s playing. There were many deeply impressive moments, none more so than the splendid awe of the Sanctus’s opening. The solo singers – Carys Lane, Frances Bourne, Paul Badley and Matthew Brook – were drawn from the choir, and they were good.

Before the Requiem there had been a touching performance of Mozart’s motet Ave verum corpus and a thrilling one of Haydn’s dramatic motet Insanae et vanae curae. Alone and somewhat incongruously, the choir also sang Allegri’s Misere, in the usual embellished 19th century version with high Cs (Mozart transcribed something much simpler after he heard the piece once at the Sistine chapel), but with the ensemble of solo singers and the plainsong choir set high up in the organ gallery. The effect was magical.

Another welcome incongruity was the COE’s reading of Haydn’s Symphony No 44, the “Trauer”. Richard Egarr directed from the harpsichord and the orchestra played with dashing brilliance.