This recital features the musicians of the Presbyterian cathedral
in Edinburgh. We are told in the booklet and on the cathedral’s
website
that the choir comprises thirty adult singers, though thirty-eight
are named in the booklet (17 sopranos, 6 female altos, 8 tenors
and 7 basses.) I infer from the booklet note that these are not
full-time professional singers, though they’re clearly experienced
and capable. The make-up of the choir is relevant, I think, because
it seemed to me quite frequently during this recital that the
choir, as recorded here, is somewhat unbalanced, with the soprano
line too dominant. I’m afraid I also have to report that there
were several occasions when I sensed that the sopranos were fractionally
under the note and my wife, who listened to parts of the disc
with me on one occasion, had the same impression.
The Elgar piece, with which the recital
opens, offers a case in point. The opening and closing pages
are lustily sung but also provided examples of the sopranos
being just slightly under the pitch of the note. However,
the quiet ending is nicely achieved. Here, and throughout
the programme, the organ, a 1992 Rieger Orgelbau, is an appropriately
potent presence in Peter Backhouse’s hands, not only when
played full out but also in the softer passages.
The choir gives
a good account of the MacMillan piece and they also do the
Holst psalm setting well, presenting its varied textures nicely.
The two pieces by Noel de Jongh were completely new to me.
They are short and pithy but make a pleasing impression. Blessed
is the Man is particularly impressive. The Howells anthem
is justly popular as it’s one of his most serene and beautiful
church compositions. The choir clearly strives to achieve
a quiet and devotional atmosphere, which is appropriate. However,
I had a nagging feeling that this was achieved at the expense
of projecting the music as positively as one would wish.
The Mendelssohn
offering, sung in German, sits a trifle oddly in what is otherwise
a programme sung in English; one wonders if the Brahms might
have been sung in the original German to make a little group
within the recital. The Mendelssohn is smoothly sung but I
wonder if it should have been made to sound a little more
virile in places. In the Brahms piece the tenors float their
line at 0:45 very nicely indeed but later on the fugal passage
at “They ever praise Thee, O God” (track 11, 3:45) needs more
drive and energy than is imparted here. The Parry piece, which
provides the title for the disc, is another item that doesn’t
quite have the requisite fervour and once again I noted one
or two occasions of slightly sagging notes in the soprano
line.
This is a carefully
prepared programme and I wonder if that’s the trouble. The
singing is perfectly decent and heard live in a recital or
service would be fine. However, I fear that it lacks just
a vital bit of character and punch and that’s a problem for
repeated listening. Peter Backhouse is an excellent accompanist
throughout. The recorded sound is excellent, the notes serviceable.
John Quinn
Choir of St.
Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh/Michael Harris 
