Bob Chilcott, Guest Conductor; Simon Carrington, Guest Conductor
Special Guests- The King’s Singers: Patrick Dunachie, countertenor; Timothy Wayne-Wright, countertenor; Julian Gregory, tenor; Christopher Bruerton, baritone; Christopher Gabbitas, baritone; Jonathan Howard, bass
Distinguished Concerts Singers International
Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
April 22, 2018
The Golden Anniversary (50th!) of the a cappella group, the King’s Singers, was marked by a concert at Carnegie Hall this weekend, and it would have been momentous if it had simply marked that milestone; it was, however much more than a milestone, and it re-affirmed this ensemble’s continued stature among the preeminent ensembles of the world.
Established in 1968 at King’s College in Cambridge, the King’s Singers have since performed on all the world’s great stages, garnering distinctions too numerous to name but which have included two Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award, a place in Gramophone magazine’s inaugural Hall of Fame, and premieres of works by the leading composers of today.
As a cappella singing has experienced a resurgence in recent years, with groups such as Pentatonix and Voces8 gaining enormous popularity, the King’s Singers have simply remained unwaveringly true to their origins by presenting diverse music (from the Renaissance to folk and popular styles) at an extremely high level. Despite inevitable change of personnel from time to time, there has been remarkable consistency in sound, particularly in their distinctive balance of voices, including always two countertenors (currently Patrick Dunachie and Timothy Wayne-Wright), one tenor (Julian Gregory), two baritones (Christopher Bruerton and Christopher Gabbitas), and one bass (Jonathan Howard). Though some of the current group’s singers have joined as recently as a few years ago, the standards hold fast, and Sunday’s concert was fortunate as well to have two long-term members join as distinguished guest conductors, both Simon Carrington (who was a co-founder and 25-year member) and Bob Chilcott (a member for twelve years). Mr. Chilcott (b. 1955) was also featured on this program as composer and arranger of several works, including the opening one.
We Are, composed by Mr. Chilcott especially for the King’s Singers’ 50th anniversary, was a perfect opener. Set to a poem from The Human Family, by Maya Angelou, Mr. Chilcott found much inspiration in this text, with a focus on the recurring line, “we are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.” The multiplicity of voices intertwining – from both the King’s Singers and the Distinguished Concerts Singers International – created a musical depiction of diversity itself, and their ultimate convergence was dramatic. It was a brilliant conception, performed expertly under the composer’s fine conducting.
To continue thriving after 50 years, a musical group does well to intertwine the old and the new, and the King’s Singers did just that with the premiere of We Are, as well as a new work by Nico Muhly (b. 1981), To stand in this House. Mr. Muhly’s work, also commissioned to honor the King’s Singers’ 50th anniversary, employs four texts, two prayerful ones from the 15th and 17th centuries (including oneby Henry VI, founder of King’s College, Cambridge, and one by Bishop Thomas Ken) and ending with two more troubled ones from Salman Rushdie (b. 1947) and Zadie Smith (b. 1975), the latter two being notable alumni of King’s College. Mr. Muhly tapped a wide range of musical language to communicate the changing views of time, from the stately polyphony of the first two to the more plaintive third and angst-ridden fourth. The musicians gave devout and passionate readings under the skillful conducting of Simon Carrington.
On a side note, the two newly commissioned works were in some ways opposites. The Chilcott work seemed to bring many widely disparate musical voices into one, while the Muhly piece went the other direction, with the final Zadie Smith text underscoring that even “Individual citizens are internally plural.” Both texts seemed destined to be set to music – essentially a compliment to both composers – though they had strongly different approaches and emotions, and the inclusion of both was quite thought-provoking.
Other newer works on the program included two works commissioned for the King’s Singers 40th anniversary in 2008, including The Stolen Child (text by W.B. Yeats) by Eric Whitacre, a rather eerie tale of magic, and what might think of as a musical prequel, the same composer’s setting of Alone (text of Edgar Allen Poe). Simon Carrington was the superb conductor for these.
Also from among the 40th anniversary commissions was Bob Chilcott’s High Flight, based on two texts, one by Henry Vaughan, 1621-95, and one by pilot John Gillespie Magree, 1922-41. It was another remarkable musical journey through time, composed with a profound understanding of a choir’s potential. One hears in the piece the composer’s years of familiarity with Tavener, Whitacre, and other famed choral composers, but his music naturally carries his own unique voice and gifts. High Flight felt altogether appropriate for this landmark occasion (as it must have for the singers’ 40th), and the close with the famous words “[I’ve] … put out my hand and touched the face of God” was incredibly stirring. The composer conducted the choir and King’s Singers with a spirit of exultation.
More traditional fare included a set entitled “Renaissance Pioneers” including Das G’läut zu Speyer by Ludwig Senfl, with wonderful use of imitation and full of bell sounds, and the heartbreaking Lágrimas de mi Consuelo by Juan Vásquez. Some levity came in the form of Dessus le marché d’Arras by Orlandus Lassus. A rather suggestive text about the purchase of “wares” at a market elicited some fun comments in the singers’ introduction to the effect that “we think we know what she’s selling, but because we’re British we’d rather not say.” The audience loved it. A similarly comical and suggestive Lamorna (traditional arr. Goff Richards) came later as part of a folk song group that included Danny Boy (traditional, arr. Peter Knight) and Bobby Shaftoe (traditional, arr. Gordon Langford).
Other memorable inclusions on the program were Thou, my love, art fair, another inspired beauty by Bob Chilcott (and conducted by the composer), My Soul There is a Country, by famous British composer Hubert Parry, and Moonlight Music, by Eric Barnum (set to texts from Shakespeare’s The Tempest). The glories of England were never far in this program.
Though there were many substantial musical offerings, the audience would undoubtedly have been disappointed without some of the King’s Singers’ more “crowd-grabbing” fare, which included That Lonesome Road of James Taylor, It’s a New World, by Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin (in an arrangement by Richard Rodney Bennett), and an uproarious version of the Overture from William Tell (Rossini), with some lingual wizardry by the incredible six. The adoring crowd applauded until an encore was granted, And So It Goes, of Billy Joel in a meltingly beautiful arrangement by Mr. Chilcott. There was probably not a dry eye in the house, but this reviewer couldn’t quite see clearly herself to check.
In summary, it was a great evening and a perfect way to honor not only the King’s Singers’ anniversary but also the 10th anniversary of Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY), for which the festivities have been ongoing all season. Singers had included groups from Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Massachusetts, Maine, Missouri, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, Australia, Canada, Germany, South Africa, United Kingdom, and (as DCINY words it) “individual singers from around the globe.” One can only guess that it was an experience well worth the trips for them – it surely was for the audience!
