Consort delivers ‘pure vocal tapestry’

The Southern Consort of Voices’ final recital for the year was held in St Paul’s Cathedral on Tuesday evening and was enjoyed by a large audience, many of whom regularly support this a cappella group and marvel at the pure vocal tapestry their director Daniel Kelly draws from the small dedicated group.

The group of 16 began by entering through the centre aisle singing Veni, Veni Emmanuel by Kodaly to assemble at the front, completing the piece with fine dynamics and excellent balance of harmonies. The following short contemporary O Radiant Dawn by James MacMillan contained big crescendos and one could believe it was a choir of at least 30.

Eleven more numbers followed, varying in style and vintage. Some highlights were two contemporary settings of Ballulalow — one by Richard Rodney Bennett and the second by Dunedin composer Richard Madden. Fifteenth century There is no rose (anonymous) featured the eight women of the consort in some exquisite harmonic passages with reference to Mother Mary. The Shepherd's Carol (Chilcott), also a devotional carol to Mary, showed great attention to “volume control” with humming and soft blended harmonies, all of which were very audible in the cathedral acoustics.

Sure on this Shining Night by Lauridsen was enhanced by sensitive piano accompaniment from Sanaz Rezai. Beautiful ebb and flow and judicious rubato from all made this a standout item. Solo items also accompanied by Rezai were presented by tenor Griffin Nichol — Comfort Ye My People and Every Valley (Handel) followed by Benedictus , a beautiful duo for soprano (Cathy Highton-Sim) and pianist by Hayden.

French text flowed well for Kieran Kelly’s baritone solo Aimons-nous by Saint-Saëns. Kelly also soloed in an interesting choral arrangement of The Three Kings.

A brisk setting of The Holly and the Ivy and an uplifting Hodie Christus Natus est by 1997 Otago Mozart Fellow Cheryl Camm ended an excellent programme of pre-Christmas choral music.

- Elizabeth Bouman