Consort delivers ‘pure vocal tapestry’

This Shining Night, Southern Consort of Voices, St Paul’s Cathedral, Tuesday 17 December 2024

Review by Elizabeth Bouman in Otago Daily Times Thursday, 19 December 2024 from https://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/music/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.

Consort dazzles with tribute to celtic roots

Across The Sea, Southern Consort of Voices, St Joseph’s Chapel, Sunday 6 October 2024

Review by Elizabeth Bouman in Otago Daily Times Monday, 7 October 2024 from https://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/music/consort-dazzles-tribute-celtic-roots.

The Southern Consort of Voices gave a recital yesterday afternoon in St Joseph’s Chapel.

As usual, an almost capacity audience revelled in the beauty of unaccompanied choral music and the tightly blended harmony this relatively small group produces.

Their director Daniel Kelly’s motto is always “if you want to make good music, surround yourself with good musicians”.

Mr Kelly creates themed 90-minute recitals, researching for unusual and unfamiliar works.

Yesterday was a programme entitled “Across the Sea — The Beauty of Celtic Song” and indeed many of the song settings were exceptionally beautiful.

The consort of 16 members were joined by three local guests who soloed with many of the 14 numbers, opening with a Gaelic-texted traditional Irish air Mo Ghile Mear from soloist tenor Jesse Hanan, and a second Jacobite air Bo na Leathadhairce with soloist tenor Teddy Finney-Waters.

Enya’s song May It Be, Pippin’s Song The Edge of Night (soloist Kieran Kelly) and Into the West (soloist Clare Lewis) were contemporary pieces from Lord of the Rings.

A bracket of well-known songs was The Parting Glass (Hanan), a Vaughan William arrangement of Scottish air Loch Lomond (Kelly) and Danny Boy (Finney-Waters).

Clare Lewis sang an Irish arrangement of Courting is a Pleasure.

Consort soprano Kathryn Gardner contributed Black is the Colour of my True Love’s Hair and a lullaby Arrane ny Clean in “Manx Gaelic” with drone-like backing from the Consort.

They also accompanied soprano Cathy Highton-Sim with strong balanced harmony for Sleepsong — a dedication for a daughter leaving home.

All these and several more solos featured superb choral support.

Dulaman in Irish Gaelic ended an exceptional recital.

Mr Kelly was an inspiring compere.

Harmony struck during divinely emotional performance

Review by Elizabeth Bouman in Otago Daily Times Monday, 6 May 2024 from https://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/music/harmony-struck-during-divinely-emotional-performance.

Sacred Seasons, Southern Consort of Voices, St Joseph’s Chapel, Sunday, May 5

The early afternoon recital yesterday from Dunedin’s a cappella choir Southern Consort of Voices was entitled “Sacred Seasons” and the capacity audience in St Joseph’s Chapel enjoyed the programme of mainly Latin motets and works chosen to loosely follow the church calendar.

The 18-member group directed by Daniel Kelly began with a glorious, bright-toned rendition of Beati quorum via, by Charles Stanford.

Attention to producing contrasting dynamics is a feature of the consort and coloured the delivery of all 12 works presented.

Although there are only seven male voices in the current group, their solo passages in the 16th-century Benedictus, by Orlando di Lasso, was strong and resonant and Loquebantur variis linguis (Tallis) also highlighted exposed male sections with excellence.

Two contemporary works, Eric Whitacre’s Lux Aurumque and Ave Verum Corpus, by Swedish composer Fredrik Sixten, were challenging, with interesting but demanding dissonance and contrasts.

An eight-voice Crux fidelis, composed by John IV, King of Portugal (1604-56), also demanded extreme attention, especially the suspensions at almost every phrase ending.

Exultate Deo, based on Psalm 80 by 17th-century composer Alessandro Scarlatti, was happy and bright with lot of “alleluias”.

Guest artists Heleen du Plessis (cello) and Nick Cornish (oboe) contributed an arrangement by Cornish of Sonata for 2 Cellos, by Benedetto Marcello (1686-1739).

Four short movements were skilfully performed.

There were a beautifully toned adagio, well-paced allegri and a sad contemplative minor aura for the largo.

The recital ended with an emotional performance of the popular Gabriel’s Oboe, by Ennio Morricone.

With cello and oboe prominence backed by choral harmony, this was divine.

Two members of the consort were farewelled yesterday — soprano Ellen Thomas, who is returning to England, and Clare Adams, who with her unique tenor timbre has contributed to the success of this group for 21 years.