Prom 69a: J. Marsh / Daniel-Lesur / Datta, BBC Singers, Jeannin, Thurs. 7 Sept. 2023

[bluestateprommer]

Thursday 7 September 2023
22:15
Royal Albert Hall

Joanna Marsh: SEEN (first performance at The Proms)
Jean-Yves Daniel-Lesur: Cantique des catntiques
Soumik Datta: Awaaz (first performance at The Proms)

Soumik Datta, sarod
Glen Scott, electronics producer (Proms debut artist)

BBC Singers
Sofi Jeannin, conductor

https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ejqhj5

https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/proms/bbc-proms-2023/prom-69a-the-bbc-singers-and-sofi-jeannin/

[LeWoiDeWeigate]

Thursday 7 September 2023
22:15
Royal Albert Hall

Joanna Marsh: SEEN (first performance at The Proms)
Jean-Yves Daniel-Lesur: Cantique des catntiques
Soumik Datta: Awaaz (first performance at The Proms)

Soumik Datta, sarod
Glen Scott, electronics producer (Proms debut artist)

BBC Singers
Sofi Jeannin, conductor

https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ejqhj5

https://www.royalalberthall.com/tick...-sofi-jeannin/

Well, this takes my 'Most Odd Prom' of the season.

Individually, there was nothing wrong with any of the pieces but collectively this was a rag-bag of works.

Joanna Marsh is an interesting composer with some wonderful vocal works but I don't think the 'electronics' (that is simple looping and reverbs) added anything to the piece and the sight of someone on a laptop at the side of the stage 'producing' was very weird indeed. Not helped by the fact that something was obviously going very wrong as a technician kept running on with cables and advice...

The Daniel-Lesur work was amazing but as with Messiaen, so delicate and intricate at times that I fear the acoustics of the hall were just all wrong for it. The massive 12-note chord at the end of the 7th movement was very rich in harmonics but those just aren't going to work in the RAH so don't try. But this is a work I want to go back to...

The mix of Indian classical instruments and BBC Singers worked VERY well though - what is most interesting is that Indian classical music is an aural teaching tradition and some of those syllables were included in the sung text; very clever indeed.

Overall though, the concert lacked a 'hook.' I'd have gladly gone to see an evening of modern choral music based around Marsh, or an evening of French 20th century choral music around Daneil-Lesur and others or an evening of Indian classical music with added chorus, but not at the RAH and not all three at the same time.

Very strange programming.

[bluestateprommer]

I see LWDW's point about this Late Night Prom being a rag-bag compendium. (I gather that you were in the hall for this concert.) However, maybe the more "glass half-full" way to see this rag-bag is to see this program as an example of the broad range of works that a group like the BBC Singers can cover. To be perhaps somewhat cynical, the first and last choices perhaps tick some "PC" boxes that need to be seen as being fulfilled (female contemporary composer, composer of color). But if it's a question of survival, and everything with the BBC Singers is a question of survival now, then go for it, especially as no harm is done by such moves. SJ and the BBC Singers did a very fine job, and even if I wasn't completely enthralled by all the music, this is well worth a listen.