Given that there is so much wonderful music available from the Renaissance period, choosing a program from this era can be a daunting task. Christie Anderson, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Adelaide Singers, in selecting an overarching theme, and drawing from that theme specific aspects, fashioned a program which gave the music chosen, under sub-headings (Fervour, Crye, Awakening, Inflame Numen) both focus and relevance.
St Peter’s College chapel, the venue for the Sunday afternoon performance, may not be the best place for the audience, but the setting and acoustics really worked for the music of Monteverdi, Gesualdo and the other composers. Music of two women composers from this period, Rafaela Aleoti and Maddalena Casulana, sat comfortably with the better known male composers.
What the audience heard was music that was inspiring, opulent, intricate, challenging and expressive. The singers, whether the full chamber choir, or in smaller combinations, proved their worth. From the haunting Tu piangi, o Filli mia by Gesauldo or Monteverdi’s intense Oimé il bel viso, oimé ‘l soave sguardo, to the final evocation of the divine spirit, Sicut Cervus by Palestrina the singing could only be described as glorious. One has to marvel at the richness and variety of music of this period, and to hear it sung by singers of such musicianship and expressiveness was nothing but sheer delight.
The Adelaide Chamber Singers have proved their worth time and time again, both internationally and here in South Australia. It is an institution about to celebrate forty years since their inception, and it would be a tragedy if they were not to continue for many decades to come. Check their website for future events and book your ticket.
St Peters College Chapel 6 July
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