Review: Cambridge Voices (From Stroud News and Journal)

Review: Cambridge Voices

THE Painswick Festival's opening concert was given on November 6 in St Mary's church by the Cambridge Voices under their founder and conductor Ian de Massini.

First a medieval setting of the Apostle's Creed for 13 voices. Starting with an empty stage, a robed figure representing Christ leads the singers round the church, joining in till all are singing: then the singers stop in turn till all is silent.

Then music on features of the church: St Mary, St Peter, yew trees, 14-bell peal and ship model. Robert de Pearsall's impressive piece of High Victorian Gloom: the 20th century Frenchman Durufle with two modern pieces, Britten's Hymn To The Virgin, Rachmaninov's Hail Mary in Russian and Palestrina's Tu es Petrus, a fine piece of 16th century polyphony filling the church.

Something new was de Massini's Lily that Dazzles written for festival patrons Beryl Calver-Jones and Gerry Mattock. Based on a 12th century piece it showed its ancestry with distinction: thank you Ian. And then his sparkling nautical madrigal with arm-waving for conductor and choir and a happy trifle by Charles Wood, with 'ding-dongs' representing bells. Good fun despite Ian's calling it 'the worst piece of music every written'.

Only joking before his setting of Lord of The Dance with variations based on black gospel music.

After the interval organist Simon Tarancuk of Wycliffe College, joined for Faure's Requiem. A solid performance indeed: at first the St Mary's acoustic made them sound a little distant but once warmed up they went like a house on fire, and on to a big Libera me with a fine baritone solo and a nice mysterious In paradisum to bring the concert to an end. We left to more Durufle: his Lord's Prayer, set by his wife after he was crippled in an accident.

A good start to big audience, and a foretaste of more to come. Festival events go on till November 20: details from Stroud Tourist Office 01453 760960.