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On Friday night, the Washington Nationwide Cathedral Choir and Baroque Orchestra confronted no such scarcity of non-public area, set as they have been on the crux of the cathedral’s 80-something-thousand-square-foot cross.
And whereas microphones onstage and screens arrange across the nave helped to mitigate the space between the viewers and the motion, this wasn’t a “Messiah” meant to overwhelm. Its “Hallelujah” didn’t blow your hair again; its heraldic blasts of trumpet usually softened into radiant, reverberant plumes; and its refrain of 44 singers, ably led by director of music Canon Michael McCarthy, sustained the mild glow of a halo all night lengthy.
None of which is to say this wasn’t a “Messiah” of musical distinction. 4 excellent soloists — together with one substitute — gave this account of the beloved oratorio a hefty serving to of persona. Bass Kevin Deas’s airs anchored every of its three components with thunderous drama and stentorian command. Mezzo-soprano Zoie Reams was additionally fabulous, bringing delicacy and luxurious depth to her centerpiece air (“He was despised …”)
Soprano Laura Choi Stuart sang with a stained-glass mix of vibrant colours and delicate edges, her “Rejoice significantly” a wonderful show of her agility; her highflying acrobatics within the third half a memorable send-off. And hot-voiced tenor Matthew Hill stepped in to interchange celebrated “Messiah” tenor Rufus Müller — a tall order he met with verve and confidence, delivering a placing introduction from the middle of the nave (“Consolation ye, consolation ye my individuals,”) and smashing the proverbial potter’s vessel with a fiery air within the third.
The refrain — a mixture of voices from younger Cathedral Choristers and the grownup Cathedral Choir — sounded completely at house within the colossal area. McCarthy introduced out pretty textures, particularly within the descending traces of the primary half air from the Ebook of Malachi (“And He shall purify …”). He additionally saved the refrain and orchestra in full of life dialog — significantly aided by Stephen Gamboa’s harpsichord and Thomas Sheehan’s continuo organ.
In a setting that might simply have warranted the overdoing of all the pieces, McCarthy and firm did exactly what was wanted to stability the divinity of the “Messiah” with the humanity of its music.
At Strathmore the next night time, the Washington Bach Consort introduced its Director Sequence efficiency of J.S. Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio” (BWV 248). Properly, most of it. We heard 4 of the oratorio’s six components — Elements 1, 2, 5 and 6 — lest we preserve the newborn Jesus up all night time.
The “Christmas Oratorio” is considered one of Bach’s extra brightly wrapped items. Within the consort’s program notes, musicologist Daniel R. Melamed pointed to the excessive distinction encountered by Nineteenth-century students of Bach’s music upon discovery of the “sunny and smiling” oratorio as compared with the extra solemn characters and contrapuntal complexity of, say, the “St. Mark’s Ardour.”
Initially carried out in 1734 as a part of Christmas festivities at two church buildings in Leipzig, Germany, over practically two weeks, the collated cantatas that made up Saturday’s condensed oratorio amounted to an prolonged Nativity scene, with recitative narration by an Evangelist (tenor Thomas Cooley) and the textual content in any other case break up between a stellar trio — mezzo-soprano Sylvia Leith, soprano Amy Broadbent and bass Dashon Burton.
Broadbent made an effortlessly convincing angel in Half 2, and although she did battle a bit to floor inside the weave of the Half 5 trio, her aria in Half 6 was exquisitely clear and managed. Burton’s substantial bass was a particular deal with all night time — booming with authority but touchdown with uncanny grace, particularly his Half 1 aria, beguilingly snarled in trumpet. Paired with lithe flute, Leith delivered a superb aria in Half 2 (“Sleep, my most Beloved …”), and he or she was key within the group’s ensemble work.
But it surely was Cooley that held the night time collectively. A pure Evangelist with a beneficiant tenor and a gregarious presence, he drew gripping drama from doubtlessly disposable recitative and sung with an inviting gentleness that successfully cloaked the brute pressure of his voice.
Trumpeters Josh Cohen (who additionally carried out on the cathedral), Dillon Parker and Doug Wilson have been all in advantageous, gleaming type, particularly within the triumphant opening and shutting chorales of Half 6. The consort’s complete flute, oboe and bassoon part performed superbly, providing crisp dialog with tart strings stoked by conductor Dana Marsh. Concertmaster Tatiana Chulochnikova gave a surprising solo flip in Half 5′s trio — one of many night’s loveliest musical moments. And particular props to timpanist Michelle Humphreys for her exact and celebratory punctuation.
On Sunday afternoon at St. Ann’s Catholic Church, the Washington Grasp Chorale introduced “Candy Was the Track,” a Christmas program that doubled as an enlightening musical journey via centuries of carols and chorales.
From the opening hand-drums that accompanied the rough-edged Fifteenth-century “Salutation Carol” (sung by alto Rachel Bradley and baritone Invoice Townsend) to a frosty-windowed rendition of “Have Your self a Merry Little Christmas,” inventive director Thomas Colohan and his 54-voice refrain appeared intent on exhibiting their vary and taking part in to their strengths.
This included a stage of confidence you don’t usually see in semiprofessional chorales: The Washington Grasp Chorale is an exceptionally centered group, bringing equal dedication to a pair of Sixteenth-century carols as to a world premiere of “Dona Nobis Pacem,” a vertiginously composed (and partially chance-driven) setting of an eighth-century Roman textual content by composer Riley Ferretti.
“John Carter’s 1985 setting of Could Kay Beall’s “In Time of Softest Snow” landed with apropos lightness, the refrain wrapping its cozy harmonies round them. Its second-half counterpart — Holst’s setting of Christina Rossetti’s “Within the Bleak Midwinter” — was delicate and solemn.
The chorale was accompanied by a small ensemble of musicians, together with the group of trumpeters Robert Bonner and Rob Singer (whose advantageous medley of merely and elegantly organized carols for 2 opened the live performance) and pianist/organist Jordan Prescott (whose personal improvised medley on organ encompassed the church in a wild wind). Colohan will get additional credit score not only for his ample enthusiasm, but in addition for gamely conducting musicians on reverse ends of the church — “the size of a metropolis block,” as he put it.
The night ended with the refrain lighting candles and encircling the viewers for a 360-degree efficiency of “Silent Evening,” which pulled this spectacular group right into a garland of particular person voices. It was a useful reminder that relating to producing vacation spirit — in opposition to all the percentages — we every have our personal track to sing.
