at The Church of St John the Divine, Horninglow, on Saturday 15th October 2016.
At 7.30pm about 200 people assembled in St John’s Church to perform and/or appreciate a Concert of Baroque music directed by Dr. Simon Lesley. All were welcomed by the Rev. Michael Freeman, vicar at St John’s, who was part of the small consort of instrumentalists (2 violins 1 viola, 1 Cello, 1 bass a keyboard & 2 trumpets). He also informed us that the magnificent Victorian Church building we were in was this year celebrating its 150th Anniversary. Three of the works being performed were by Vivaldi, a renowned Venetian violinist, composer and teacher. He was also ordained in the Church and became known as the “Red Priest”. Whilst Michael has no such title at present, he is clearly well qualified and informed us that his Church had just acquired the adjacent “Red Lion” pub so who knows….??
The concert opened with an instrumental work, the concerto for 2 trumpets by Antonio Vivaldi. The soloists were Andy Jennings and Dan Robertson. Vivaldi wrote little for Trumpets, but this work is a gem. In both Allegro movements, sweet phrases flow skilfully between the soloists and the consort instruments either in canon or in harmony. They are linked by a short wistful Largo. The soloists contrived to play both quietly and smoothly; as the phrases flowed between them they sounded almost as one instrument and at no time did they “muscle out” the small string consort when they got the tunes. An enjoyable piece, skilfully and sensitively performed and well matched to the acoustics of the building.
Vivaldi was followed by J S Bach (almost contemporaries); Simon Lesley played a Chorale and a Prelude on the Church’s Organ. Both works were delivered by instrument and player alike in a manner that enabled the simultaneous lines (3 or 4) to be readily distinguished and their intricate inter-weavings fully appreciated. I must admit that on many previous occasions I had regarded such music (and Bach wrote a lot of it!) as just introit or exiting accompaniment or fill-in. Not so. Thank you St John’s for having an instrument capable of such playing and thank you Simon for opening a box.
Back to Vivaldi, “Nullo in Mundo Pax”, from his Motet (in Latin), featuring a Soprano (Allison Taylor), violins, viola & basso continuo. “In this world there is no peace” – a wistful and unsettling work comprising a mix or aria & recitative. The conflicts are beautifully presented, the singing was precise, clear, clean and moving throughout and the consort provided good support and emphasis. It was very good listening, however, I did not get an impression that any moral (or political) anomalies had been resolved, nor perhaps did Vivaldi intend this.
Back a hundred years to William Byrd’s “Ave Verum Corpus” (composed ~1605, the “lyrics” are much older - so more Latin). It’s basically a hymn for use at the Sacrament. Its subtle polyphonic forms & temporal shifts are novel for the time and opened doors for the madrigals written by Byrd’s pupils & successors, who perhaps had other bodies in mind. The work was well performed by the full Choir who all made the most of Byrd’s wonderful writing and the hall’s vibrant qualities.
The Magnificat by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi rounded of the first half of the concert. It was written around 1735 by when “good tunes” could be enjoyed shamelessly in Churches all over Europe. The Choir clearly enjoyed it and so did the soloists (Allison & Jane Phinn in Movt.2 and Stephen Alliss & Peter Evanson in Movt 4) and all made the most of their opportunities to shine. The consort not only supported the Choir & Soloists well but also brought a bright dance-like bounce to the Finale. It was all well received by the Audience.
After the interval back to Vivaldi for his Gloria, - Choir, Soloists, Consort & Trumpets. Written 1715, this work was lost for over 250 years, but has now (rightly) become very popular with performers and listeners alike. The work spans a full range of emotions and provides imaginative pairings and interactions between solo singers, instrumentalists and Chorus; it is hard to believe it was written for a Girls School. Bringing (& keeping) the disparate musical parts together requires great skill, Simon Lesley managed this well and the result was excellent; it was noticeable that most of the players’ eyes were on him much of the time. Players, singers and soloists all seemed to enjoy themselves throughout but all deserve our praise too; we must all look forward to the promised Anniversary programme.
Mike Skinner
Audience