Victoria and Parry: BBC Singers under David Hill at St Bart's on Monday 27th June

[edashtav]

The delicate opening motet which prefaces Victoria's late Requiem was sung with great control, balance and clarity in the marvellous acoustic of St. Bart's. Perhaps, it had the understated, introductory nature of an Introit before Evensong but I felt it was perfect as a scene setter for the tragic Requiem that followed. I was at once engaged by David Hill's judicious choice of tempi and his deep appreciation of how important it was to allow vocal music to "breathe".

David Hill has cleansed the BBC Singers of inappropriate / excessive vibrato and this helped a great deal to project Victoria's heavenly counterpoint. Does any composer beat Victoria in saying "farewell"? David Hill allowed endings to linger longer without cloying into sentimental slush. His assuming mastery was to the fore throughout the performance and the Singers responded magnificently. I found this performance to be deeply moving and satisfying.

I have a problem with The Songs of Farewell: it is not amongst my favourite Parry works. Frankly, for me , it's the opposite of Victoria's Requiem: please say Farewell, NOW, Hubert! I shall neither ramble longer nor review the piece, but leave that to lovers of late Parry.

[DracoM]

Not for me: I found the Victoria fast, relentlessly ff or louder, each part sounding not so much complementary as competitive, with little light and shade. It was a fine performance of the notes, but did not do much for the music, or the occasion for which it was written..

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

David Hill has cleansed the BBC Singers of inappropriate / excessive vibrato and this helped a great deal to project Victoria's heavenly counterpoint.

In that case, I'll listen to it.

[edashtav]

In that case, I'll listen to it.

Seconds out!

[edashtav]

On a serious note, I do refute Dracom's observations. Clearly, reducing vibrato, as I maintain that David Hill has done in his time as Chief Conductir of the Singers exacerbates any issues re blending and accuracy of tuning. However, I maintain that blending was good and tuning was superb in this performance of the Requiem. A friend of mine heard the performance live in St Bart's and his opinions are broadly in line with my findings.

[DracoM]

I did not comment on vibrato - its lack of or whatever. I did not comment on tuning. I made no comment on David hill's musicianship. Like his recording of it. I specifically said the notes had been finely sung.

I did not like the interpretation of a piece I know intimately on THIS occasion.

[edashtav]

Not for me: I found the Victoria fast, relentlessly ff or louder, each part sounding not so much complementary as competitive, with little light and shade. It was a fine performance of the notes, but did not do much for the music, or the occasion for which it was written..

I'll comment more directly: you found the performance too fast for you; I agree insofar as it wasn't slow but pace in a choral piece is partly conditioned by acoustics: St Bart's is not replete with mush and its clarity allows speeds that would be extreme in many cathedrals.
Your notion that the dynamics were relentlessly ff or louder is demonstrably untrue, I fear. The microphony gave us a fairly close image of the choral sound but I found a full range of dynamics.
I took your near remark that parts were competitive rather than complementary as a criticism of balance and blending. My view is that the parts were well balanced and their consistent timbre and similar limited use of vibrato led to blending;they complemented each other in a way that was not characteristic of the BBC Singers a decade ago.

[EdgeleyRob]

Lover of late Parry here.
I think the Songs of Farewell contain some of his greatest and most moving music.
A sort of summing up by a man nearing his end.
Hearing
'Than my wearied sprite now longs to fly out of my troubled breast:
O come quickly, sweetest Lord, and take my soul to rest'
always brings a lump to my throat,especially when sung as well as it was here.
Nice to hear The Chivalry of the Sea during the break.
The Jamie Hall piece was interesting

I've never heard the Victoria Requiem before,it made a huge impression an me,extraordinary music yet I find the Parry more spiritual and moving somehow,did Parry really lose his faith?