Proms at ... Southwark Cathedral - 12.08.17

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

15:00 Saturday 12 August 2017
Southwark Cathederal

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Offertorium 'Confitebor tibi, Domine' (
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Missa 'Confitebor tibi'
Judith Weir: In the Land of Uz BBC commission: world première

Adrian Thompson tenor
BBC Singers
Nash Ensemble
David Hill conductor

The BBC Singers with Chief Conductor David Hill perform the world premiere of In the Land of Uz, by the group's Associate Composer Judith Weir. Joined by tenor Adrian Thompson and the Nash Ensemble, with Stephen Farr at the organ, In the Land of Uz is a dramatised reading of the biblical Book of Job, from which all the text is taken.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Unlike the majority of "Proms at ..." concerts, this one does appear to take place indoors.

[Pulcinella]

In the Land of Uz is a dramatised reading of the biblical Book of Job......

We might need Job's patience: could be a long afternoon!

[bluestateprommer]

We might need Job's patience: could be a long afternoon!

Actually, just barely under 90 minutes, from Georgia Mann's intro to sign-off, without an interval. Generally a solid concert from the BBC Singers, in David Hill's swan song as chief conductor (I mistakenly thought he was on for one more season before Sofi Jeannin takes over). The 'novelty' of the concert was obviously the JW work, which was a curious grab-bag of genres and styles. On one level, you can see it as a sort of 'melodrama', in the strict and not debased sense of the word, because it has a narrator with the chorus and instrumental ensemble. Several other solo speaking voices pop up from the chorus at the start as well. JW's harmonic idiom is generally very audience-friendly and approachable, with some jazz-like passages, the last perhaps not a surprise with soprano sax in the ensemble. and one extended choral passage that was quite beautiful to hear. Maybe things weren't dark enough for me in the music where the destruction of Job's family and wealth are presented, or to put it another way, the contrast with the end, where things work out for him, may not have been emotionally extreme enough.

The instrumentarium is a certainly bit odd, where, besides the choir, JW uses organ, and an ensemble of viola, double bass, soprano saxophone, trumpet, and tuba (which might likely limit prospects of future performances, in terms of which groups can assemble such forces, unless it's done with freelance musicians). Besides some of the choral passages alluded to before, the viola writing is also quite lovely to hear. Perhaps the viola, and the soprano sax, are kind of nods to RVW's 'masque for dancing' from JW. One thing I did realize in retrospect now was that although the narrator does speak a fair bit at the start, as the work proceeds, the role of the narrator is whittled down, and the chorus carries the narrative in terms of the words fully by the end, w/o the speaker. JW was in the audience, but let DH do the talking with GM on stage before the work.

I'm not enough of an aficionado of Renaissance choral music, or choirs, to say much on the Palestrina. Things sounded good to my amateurish ears there.

[doversoul1]

I am listening to the first Palestrina now. The sound feels somewhat thick but this maybe my side of problem. The BBCS are certainly not Sixteen but I think this is, most part (the soprano wobbles slightly but only occasionally), very much more than acceptable. I imagine, for those who were there, it was quite an excellent concert.