Not on my desert island…
by berberis on Dec.17, 2006, under Choir, Concerts, LCS, Rehearsals
Saturday, 16th December 2006, St Mary’s Church, Lewisham.
Handel: Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
Vivaldi: Gloria
Cecilia McDowall: Magnificat
Carols for choir and audience: Unto us is born a Son/A Child is born in Bethlehem/The holly and the ivy/The Sussex carol/Quelle est cette odeur agreable?/O come, all ye faithful
Soloists: Joanna Gamble (mezzo-soprano). Caroline Lenton-Ward (soprano).
The Aurelian Ensemble.
Organist: Andrew Dutson. Conductor: Stefan Reid.
Cecilia McDowall’s Magnificat was a first for me. Looking at my score, I think I should have returned it at the end of the concert, but somehow the infamous green Waitrose bag eluded me.
I’ve only listened to it once since the performance, and I can only put this down to the fact that it’s modern. Written in 2003, to be exact. In a nutshell, the reason I don’t like modern religious music is that I think it tries too hard.
Back in the 1980’s, when I was still something of a believer, the church we attended held a more modern service than I was used to, during which we were required to ‘share a sign of peace’. This involved turning to those nearest to us, shaking hands and saying “Peace be with you”, or something similar. I found the whole process embarrassing and artificial. A test of faith too far, if you will.
Anyway, I had a similar reaction to Magnificat. It sounded forced, as if it was trying too hard to prove itself. The odd phrasing, the text, the twee accompaniment. I find the woodwind instruments particularly irksome. And there are places where it sounds as though the more interesting phrases have simply been connected by strings of random notes, much the same way as arias are connected in opera. Just not my cup of tea.
Vivaldi’s Gloria, on the other hand, is old religious music. And I really don’t like it at all. I will go out of my way to not sing it if I possibly can. I’m not sure exactly what it is that I find so irritating; I’d need to hear it again, which I’m not keen to do.
The carols were the usual fare; we giggled like schoolchildren at the one we renamed ‘What’s that smell?’ but otherwise this was an uninspiring concert for me.
