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Alix Goolden Performance Hall
February 23, 2013
After last evening's almost entirely Purcell programme, the Pacific Baroque Festival went one better: an entirely Purcell programme. Gone were the VCM Young Professionals, and in came the Victoria Children's Choir and the St. Christopher Singers. (One of the stars the previous night's performance, Isaiah Bell did, however, show up in the St. Christopher Singers.) The quality of singing, it must be admitted, went down, but a sense of community involvement compensated.
The Pacific Baroque Orchestra was just as good as the previous night. They deftly handled a suite of instrumental pieces from The Fairy Queen with playing that ranged from the delicate to the vigorous, as appropriate.
The singers then filed on, for a performance of Purcell's Anthem, "I was glad when they said unto me". (I counted about forty singers, more or less equally divided between the VCC and the St. Christopher's Singers.) After the opening Symphony, an uncredited soprano began the proceedings. She was plainly quite nervous and this led to a rather constricted sound. She did, however, warm up and sounded much better in subsequent pieces. Isaiah Bell (who took the solo tenor part) showed no such nervousness and tossed off his part, rather showing up the other soloists. Much of this anthem is handled by the soloists and the choristers had barely broken a sweat (or given the reviewer a chance to form an opinion) before they trooped back off.
The Orchestra essayed a suite of pieces from Dido and Aeneas while the singers caught their breath. The opening overture was suitably portentous. Also nicely handled was the Triumphing Dance, which was given a pleasing bounce.
The next Anthem, "My heart is inditing", gave your reviewer a better chance to form an opinion of the choir. The enunciation was excellent and the young voices of the VCC more than held their own, singing with crystalline clarity. Of the singers were clearly carefully rehearsed and well trained. At times, I thought, the choir had a bit of muted sound, but this mystery was solved at the outset of the second half, which began the Anthem, "O sing unto the Lord".
During the interval, I shifted from the right (stage right) side of the balcony to the left. For some inexplicable reason the sound was much better on the left side: fuller and warmer. The soloists in this piece, who included Festival organizer Brian Groos, are good amateur singers. (I except, of course, the ubiquitous Bell, who is a good young professional. It was important, as one listened, to judge the singing by appropriate standards.) The highlight of this Anthem was the concluding, "Tell it out among the heathen that the Lord is king", which was belted out with an evangelical fervour that an African-American gospel choir would be happy to match.
Two more instrumental pieces ensued: the Fantazia upon One Note and a suite from King Arthur. Jim Munro (of Munro's Books) was given the pleasing task of holding down middle C on the organ for the duration of the first piece, while the other instruments danced all around the note. (I was terribly envious of Munro's opportunity to play the keyboard part.) The suite from King Arthur had a special treat for fans (such as me) of chaconnes. The chaconne from "Sound the trumpet", performed last night, reappeared in this suite and was every bit as enjoyable this time around. If Purcell liked the piece well enough to use it twice, I was not going to complain about hearing it again.
The concert concluded with the Anthem, "Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem". This piece displayed all the virtues of the proceeding anthems. I was particularly struck again by the excellent diction displayed by members of both choirs.
This evening we saw another side of the Pacific Baroque Festival. Last night it was the fine Pacific Baroque Orchestra and young professionals. This evening was more a celebration of music in and by the community. Both aspects of the Festival provided much to enjoy. As always, one cannot give too much praise to Brian Groos for organizing the Festival.
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