David Cheetham

The Kuhnau/Bach motet was a good choice to open the Cathedral Choirs’ concert. It is easy music, in a style reminiscent of the choirs’ everyday work. The singing was smooth and expressive, with excellent balance. and the orchestra quietly supportive.

Crispian Steele-Perkins played Bach’s Jauchzet Gott on natural trumpet of course, and the natural balance of the instruments was so easy that it was possible often to reduce the strings to single instruments. Gillian Keith has a lovely engagement with the audience – many of our singers could learn a lot by watching her delivery. It is remarkable how telling and clear the vocal line was even though she made no great attempt to flood the building with sound. In Sei Lob the violin duettists played lightly and dancingly, but again absolutely clear. The Alleluia featured some delicate pp playing from the trumpet and a joyous finish.

Vivaldi Magnificat. What expressive use of harmony in this piece! Harmonic mobility is the major means of expression in this music; some of it is highly unorthodox, even wilful. It does presuppose that the choirs’ tuning will be perfect, of course, and while Geraint Bowen allowed the lines to expand naturally, they were always exactly in tune. The surprising choral unison at Deposuit was as huge as you could wish.

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