A HYMN OF HEAVENLY BEAUTY

A HYMN OF HEAVENLY BEAUTY

Tenebrae at the Thaxted Festival

12.07.2015

A welcome return from Tenebrae brought this year's Festival to a memorable close.

Not only for the rain drumming on the roof in the opening Lassus, but also for sublime performances from their broad repertoire, including some of the Russian music which is at the heart of their new touring programme – even the encore was a Rachmaninov: Тебе поем from his Liturgy of St John Chrysostom.

Holst was represented on his home turf by the Ave Maria and Nunc Dimittis, we heard Tavener's popular Song for Athene, and Harris's wonderful Faire is the Heaven brought the advertised programme to a magnificent close.

Tenebrae also gave us two of their signature works, the Crucifixus of Antonio Lotti, and Allegri's incomparable Miserere. Performed, as were many of the evening's offerings, using the architecture of Thaxted's famous church to full advantage.

THE HOUSE

THE HOUSE

Opus Anglicanum - Thaxted Festival

28.06.2015

Five singing men and a reader, Opus Anglicanum specialize in “programmes” - themed collections of Words and Music rather after the manner of the BBC Radio 3 anthologies under that name.

Not the first time they've delighted Thaxted Festival audiences; their theme this time was The House, tracing the Manor from the Domesday book to lonely decline in the 20^th century. Beginning with Hinton Manor, - a place called Locus Dei - which became a Priory before succumbing to the Dissolution. Other houses were referenced too, making this a generic rather than specific history. Titchfield Abbey, presented to Thomas Wriothesley – Call-Me-Risley in Wolf Hall – by Henry VIII; Wilton Abbey, Apethorpe and finally Trelowarren in Cornwall, with Lady Vyvyan living a lonely life of “death duties, dust and ruin”. All read with warmth and style by Radio 4 pin-up Zeb Soanes.

John Rowlands-Pritchard's sequence included some musical gems – Tallis, Dowland, Purcell, suiting OA's vocal forces, and this ecclesiastical acoustic, very well indeed. They began with Noel Coward's Stately Homes of England, in a witty, dramatic arrangement by Roland Robertson, included a patriotic medley from HMS Pinafore, and a rare Elgar part-song setting of Walter de la Mare, ending with RVW's Greensleeves.

CANTATE

CANTATE

at the Thaxted Festival

08.07.12

A hugely impressive performance from this youth choir – or rather choirs [Senior, Youth and Training] – well over a hundred voices, totally focused and tightly disciplined, singing, from memory, a generous selection of choral music from the Hebrew, African and American traditions, with, at the heart of it all, an assured performance of Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, with the treble solo wonderfully sung by Thomas and Max.

The church was packed with parents, friends and festival-goers; the largest turn-out by far this season. Among the many highlights were the hypnotic processional, an a cappella Steal Away, an inventive arrangement of Elijah Rock, the seductive harmonies of Give Me Jesus, and the rousing final encore, Bernstein again, Somewhere.

Percussion is an important part of Cantate's work, and we heard the inspirational Paolo Cimmino leading the young musicians in a group of pieces.

These are not mature voices, but unusually, they were able to sustain the lines successfully, and held the interest of the capacity audience.

By the time you read this they will have finished their season with a concert in Paris – and the good news is that they'll be back in Thaxted for Christmas.

RED PRIEST

RED PRIEST

at the Thaxted Festival

24.06.12

Red Priest's distinctive brand of baroque is perhaps a little too in-your-face for the staid surrounding of Thaxted's magnificent church. Tim Kliphuis a year or two back probably as far out as most would wish to go.

But they gave two excellent sets, and some of us at least stood for the ovation at the end.

Fronted by that inimitable magician Piers Adams, they played many of their greatest hits, including Bach's Third Brandenburg, his Toccata and Fugue, on a variety of recorders, and an Argentine-influenced Albinoni Adagio.

Spring, from the Four Seasons, complete with birdsong and a stray dog, on this unusually fine June evening, a meeting of Zadok and Sheba, and Tartini's Senti Lo Mare, from their Pirates of the Baroque CD.

Of course beneath the leather and the bustier are four superb musicians – Piers amazing fingering, and his way of bending a note, David Wright's virtuoso harpsichord, Angela East's cello amazing in Lanzetti, Julia Bishop's versatile fiddle. All very enjoyable – my only complaint is that, given the visual nature of much of Red Priest's work, some effort might have been made to light the concert, especially for the second half.

TIM KLIPHUIS

at the Thaxted Festival

27.06.10

To Thaxted Church, steeped in musical tradition, for a wonderful concert by Dutch violinist Tim Kliphuis.

He must be tired of the “second Stéphane Grappelli” label, but it's true – that easy swing to the fiddle, those familiar standards ornamented, bent and improvised around. Satin Doll, After You've Gone, a colourful Caravan. Sweet Georgia Brown, too, of course, featuring a great dialogue between the violin and the inspired bass of Len Skeet, who's played with the great Grapelli himself. And, as a nightcap, a magical Berkeley Square.

But Tim's speciality – and possibly the reason for this Thaxted gig – is his way with the classics. They get the same affectionate makeover: a witty, swing Humoreske, Grieg's Norwegian Dance and a spell-binding Debussy Clair de Lune.

With Skeet and Kliphuis on the stand were pianist David Newton, his heels on the wooden platform the only percussion, and guitarist Colin Oxley.