Tag Archives: Tallis

A Greater Coming Together

Tonight, as they say, is the night: by which I mean, tonight’s the first rehearsal in which both the Chamber and Cecilian Choirs will come together to sing the ‘Agnus Dei’ from the Frank Martin ‘Mass for Double Choir.’

I can’t articulate how exciting this prospect is, the chance to realise the full sound of the piece for the first time since we started learning it in individual choirs; this will be the first opportunity for us all to hear it properly.

There’ll be some problems, not least of which is a logistical one: some people sing in both choirs, and I’ll probably have to do some juggling in order to make sure each of the lines is strong, a fact made all the more problematic when the score sometimes divides each part into two; at several points, the texture blossoms into a rich, sonorous ten-part sound.

There’ll also be the challenge of arranging the choirs together, not just for the ‘Agnus Dei’ but also for the two other pieces we’re performing as a combined ensemble: Tallis’ If Ye Love Me and, to end the programme in cheerful manner, Dowland’s Fine Knacks for Ladies. I hope to have sopranos on each outer side, altos arranged across the middle, tenors on each outer side of the back row, and basses in the middle. It will be interesting to see if this works – as well as discovering if we can actually all fit into the performance space in this fashion, a fact we won’t be able to discover until we rehearse on the day, a scant two hours before the concert…

That’s not going to be a problem. I hope!

Hail, Bright Cecilians!

Cecilian Choir logoThe Cecilian Choir drew its first breath this week, launching into its programme of repertoire for the year and beginning with Tallis and Lassus.

Lassus’ Adoramus te, Christe is a very strange little motet: it moves harmonically into places where, tonally, the ear is expecting something else, and voice-parts occasionally introduce flats that steer the harmony into unusual corners. All of which makes for challenging sight-reading, but to which the choir rose with aplomb.

Tallis’ popular If Ye Love Me offers the opportunity for the singers to relish consonants and vowel-shapes, particularly on the words ‘love’ and ‘commandments.’

The choir has grown in size since last year, and we’ve changed the rehearsal layout and the space we occupy in Eliot College Hall, which allows a greater resonance; there was a point in the rehearsal at which the choir finished the Tallis anthem, and the final chord of F major suddenly rose into the roof and filled the entire hall: and the intonation was perfect as well.

A great start to the year, with lots more repertoire to look forward to, plus a few seasonal surprises. Stay tuned…