Concluding their twenty date promotional tour for ‘Masters of Imitation’, conductor Harry Christophers directed eighteen singers of The Sixteen through a programme of choral music by Casulana, Lassus, Desprez, Chatelet. The programme concluded with music by Bob Chilcott.
Kings Place acoustic isn’t the natural home for sixteenth century religious music. Whilst there’s just about enough reverb to hint at the atmosphere audiences will have immersed themselves in during the rest of the group’s UK-wide tour this year, the cushioned sound reveals the stunning precision The Sixteen are famed for. Rarely have the beginning and endings of phrases evoked so much wonder, let alone the yearning expressed in between.
Director Christophers – observed arriving for a pre-concert pow-wow in Kings Place foyer – is a modest presence on stage, yet reliable with an appreciative flourish for his phenomenal team when the moment presents itself.
In what feels like a short set, The Sixteen’s performance the fierce attention to detail in terms of phrasing, ensemble, texture and voice matching is unrelenting. Yet it’s never taken for granted. Those moments when raw 16th century intervals permeate the dark clouds, memories of long Sundays, interminable country walks and the nutty aroma of roast beef flood back. Rarely has an ‘amen’ been so gratefully received and the inevitable applause that resulted so infuriating.
The album promotion concert isn’t a new experience for me. The last most potent example was Jess Gillam’s Time released in 2020 Thoroughly Good saw showcased in 2021 at Lammermuir. The format – performing music live that can be listened to back is hardly new (its what broadcast catch-up is based on after all), but it still feels fresh in the classical music world. The best of both worlds can be found on the musical map: hear it live and recorded in the studio.
The programme notes are likely to trigger traumatic memories of first-year undergrad music studies if pored over in too much detail; the overriding message is a whole host of 16th composers sought to celebrate their forebears by referencing and riffing on the tunes that preceded them. The effect, for anyone who responds readily to textural, harmonic and rhythmic flirtation, is near transcendental.
What makes Masters of Imitation shine, both on stage and online, is Christophers’ thoughtful agility demonstrated in his understanding of how this ancient musical language can still evoke such visceral reactions.
