21 May 2022

Melting moments

I'm now listening to Emma Kirkby and Christopher Hogwood and the Academy of Ancient Music playing Mozart Requiem and they are better than SCUNA was last night.  But that's saying nothing.  I still melted in the ensemble passages, the power and commitment were there with nice intonation and some standout voices peaking through.  They were missing one bass soloist (the other covered) and others from Covid or whatever, but they were still eminently satisfying.  And the soloists had nice voices and worthy intonation, if a little more projection might have helped.  But they didn't have the support of a period orchestra, just a pipe organ, but again, well played by one of our local stars, Anthony Smith, under the baton of another, Matthew Stuckings.  This is music to draw tears and I did feel the pull at times from power and pensiveness and serious intent.  It's from another era of course, but eternal in a cultural way even for those less religious.  An alternative to social media?  Yeah.  Be drenched in a major choral work and rediscover your soul, eternal or otherwise.  So not Emma Kirby and AAM?  No, but SCUNA have history and commitment and, even as a non-auditioned choir, that intent and capability and intelligence that is endemic in Canberra and is why I love this town.  And I've hardly even mentioned that Mozart is a god and these works are to die for.  I melted over this.  Great work!

The ANU Choral Society (SCUNA) performed Mozart Coronaton Mass and Requiem at Wesley under Matthew Stuckings (director) and with repetiteur Anthony Smith (pipe organ).

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