Reaquaintances

At the moment, I feel like I'm reacquainting myself with the scene after the Covid shutdowns.  If the Sydney outbreak blows up, I might need to be be doing that again in several months time, but in the meantime, I'm enjoying it.  This next gig was with I Progetti, Charis Messalina de Valence's mediaeval-influenced choir, this time in the vibrant-sounding foyer of the National Portrait Gallery.  And it was a huge pleasure.  This is an SATB choir of 8, so a pairing for each voice, so small and clear and beautifully intoned, even through some more chromatic lines.  Anthony Smith was there as keyboard accompanist (variously harpsichords, organs and more) but he sometimes just introduced with a pitch, so the singers were a capella.  Small can be less thrilling but also more precise and clear.  I found myself with closed eyes shortly into the concert, and sat like that for most of it.  They arrived with an initial joke of arm-length social distancing.  Then into a circle for four short brackets of 4/5 songs each.  I said mediaeval, but not just.  The composers ranged from the likes of Josquin de Pres and Pretorius and Lodovico Grossi da Viadana through Anon. and Trad. to Howard Blake and Dominic Fox and Eric Whitacre.  The choir also has a resident composer, Mark Chapman, who provided the opening song "Welcome, Yule!".  I loved the variation, adored the clarity and precision, drooled over a high soprano (hard to identify, but I'm told it was Charis) and then, to finish off, the Christmas carol singalong.  I immensely enjoyed finding my recently unused voice (generously the pitch was comfy).  We sang First nowell (I have just learned that "nowell" is the Cornish original; "noel" is an Americanisation [source: Wikipedia]), Come all ye faithful and Hark! the Herald angels sing.  My recordings of the event weren't so successful, but the concert was.  So lovely; such clarity in such an apt space.  A great pleasure.

Charis Messalina de Valence (director, soprano) led I Progetti chamber choir at the National Portrait Gallery.  Anthony Smith (keyboard) accompanied.  Singers were Charis and Ngaire Breen (soprano), Mary Woodhouse and Susannah Bishop (alto), Steven Harris (tenor, occasional alto), Tristan Struve (tenor, baritone), Mark Chapman (bass, occasional composer) and Steven Strach (bass).

A maturing project

I've been watching Charis' new choir for a year or so now. It's only in 2016 that I Progetti appeared. Charis had been with SCUNA in my awareness, but this was her new project. Projects, perhaps? I Progetti is a small chamber choir, working alone or with others, with unfamiliar choral repertoire. I imagine a repertoire from the Renaissance or thereabouts, but they also sing new material, not least by one of their singers, bassist Mark Chapman. Touche! I love performance and perfection, but it's also nice to see some creation beyond interpretation or improvisation. I've been feeling that recently, noting various indie musos who write music rather than just perform it. But back to this performance. It was free, days before Christmas, in the lovely space of the NPG foyer with its high roof and timber and acoustics. Other than Mark's composition (called Welcome Yule!) it was C16-C17 with a touch of C18. Think Josquin des Pres, Monteverdi, Purcell, Praetorius and a string of more obscure names. But so nicely done! These voices really did sit well together with three per SATB section. The basses were rich and sonorous, the sopranos reaching into the sky, the altos spelling those balancing harmonies and the tenors firm and incisive. I was particularly struck by some lofty soprano singing in the audience participation at the end. We were all invited to sing Ding dong merrily on high and Hark the Herald angels sing. This is Chrissie after all, and the joy was shared. Such a lovely, artful performance complete with audience involvement. How could you not love it!

I Progetti is Charis Messalina de Valance (director), Deirdre Clink and Ngaire Breen (sopranos), Mary Harwood, Mary Woodhouse and Susannah Bishop (altos), Alex Moruya, Paul Francis, Steven Harris and Tristan Struve (tenors) and Mark Chapman, Peter de Vries, Phill Grant and Steven Strach (basses). Anthony Smith (chamber organ) provided accompaniment.

New project

It was a new project at the High Court. I know Charis from SCUNA but now she's running her own choir, I Progetti (Ital. The Projects, obviously) and it's a lovely thing in a lovely space. About 12 singers, SATBB, male and female. Mostly a capella, but one major work had keys and baroque cello and another had a lute sound (again from keys). There's plenty of seriousness here, in how the music is approached and performed and the quality of the singers, but there's just a little amusement, too. I was amused the a first tune was in old Icelandic, but that's just because my wife is about to visit Iceland. We were all amused by the women's songs and their sight disrepute and bawdy disrespect for men. Feminism has a long history. The women with lute accompaniment sang two by Robert Johnson, Will saide to has Mammy and Sweete Kate. The first about Will seeking to marry against his mother's advice; the second is Kate's reply. But there were other themes: celestial harmonies, sung from a High Court balcony; allegories of life - religion, the seasons, one by Calvin Bowman setting the words of Robert Herrick comparing daffodils to the transcience of human life; aspects of love including the womens' earthiness above as well as a setting by bass Mark Chapman of the words of Tennyson called Now sings the crimson petal; age and death and transfiguration. To end, a mass by Monteverdi played with accompaniment of keys and baroque cello. I enjoyed the earlier, but most enjoyed the mass, for its extent, satisfaction, familiarity and additional counterpoint. But a lovely choir that's new to me performing delicious and well informed early music. Somewhat other-wordly for the modern ear but very nice!

I Progetti performed in the High Court foyer. Charis Messalina de Valence (musical director, soprano) led Deirdre Clink and Ngaire Breen (sopranos),Mary Harwood, Mary Woodhouse and Susanah Bishop (altos), Jarrod Grabham, Jonathan Lee and Tristan Struve (tenors), Anthony Smith, Luke Williad and Phill Grant (baritones) and Mark Chapman and Steven Strach (basses) with accompaniment by Anthony Smith (chamber organ) and Clara Teniswood (baroque cello).