This is a fascinating
and imaginative programme of choral
music.
On the face of it,
these four composers writing in the
1940s might be thought to have a great
deal in common. Yet the youngest and
oldest – Britten and Pizzetti – were
born more than thirty years apart,
so that their musical outlook was
fundamentally different. Equally,
Britten, Pizzetti and Finzi were steeped
in the vocal traditions of their countries,
while Copland, of Russian Jewish extraction,
was somewhat less at home with the
choral medium, though that in itself
gives his In the Beginning a
freshness of approach which is very
engaging.
Gloucester Cathedral
Choir is a spirited and characterful
ensemble, served by a trio of superb
musicians – director Andrew Nethsingha,
organist Robert Houssart and voice
coach Russell Burton. There is no
doubting their commitment to this
music or their comprehension of it.
However, I feel that they have not
been well served by the recording
in this instance. Avie seem to have
gone for ambience rather than detail,
and the effect is rather like sitting
towards the back of the cathedral.
You get a wonderful sound seated in
such a position, of course, for the
music washes over you in great waves.
But this is far from ideal for complex,
fast-moving music such as the Britten
and Copland pieces. In places like
Let Nimrod, the mighty hunter (track
1, 1:33), the quieter entries of the
chorus can’t be heard clearly, a problem
further complicated by the slight
lateness of the choir (possibly caused
by time-lag between them and the organ).
A similar result can be heard (minus
organ of course) in In the Beginning
(track 10) around 6:00.
The Pizzetti and
the Finzi, being inherently slower-moving
and less rhythmically active, are
more successful. However, the trebles
of the choir sound thin, and their
blend is less than ideal. They are
obviously trying to develop a clarity
of tone at Gloucester, which I applaud,
and is certainly preferable to the
‘hoot’ that used often to be heard
in this country. But going for a more
focused sound can put the blend and
intonation of your trebles under the
microscope, and in this case, unfortunately,
they are often found wanting. The
extreme chromaticism of Pizzetti highlights
this, while the lack of sufficient
weight of tone in the top line is
a particular problem in the Copland
(which in any case, was conceived
for the adult SATB voices of Harvard
University).
On the plus side,
the Britten has some delightful solo
contributions, notably James Gilchrist’s
serene For the flowers are great
blessings. And the ensemble achieves
a spine-tingling and massive sound
for the climax of For I am under
the same accusation as my Saviour,
in which poor Christopher Smart’s
words give voice to the dark depths
of his paranoia. This, and the intensity
achieved in Pizzetti’s fine Ululate
and equally in Finzi’s moving
Lo, the Full, Final Sacrifice
speak of the imagination and commitment
that is always evident in the music-making
here. Frustratingly, though, I can’t
say that this CD makes the most of
the choir’s sterling qualities and
high potential.
Gwyn Parry-Jones
see also review
by John Quinn
Jonathan Hyde (treble), Jeremy Kenyon (alto),
James Gilchrist (tenor), Allan Smith (bass), James
Birchall (bass), Frances Bourne (mezzo-soprano),
Robert Houssart (organ) 
