By Michael Morton-Evans

Britain has a long tradition of choral music stretching right back to the 15th century, so it’s not surprising that the 2500 seat Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House was packed to overflowing for Musica Viva’s presentation of the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge on Monday night. The college was founded by King Henry VI in 1441, a year after he founded Eton College, and he saw to it that services were sung every day in the magnificent chapel. From that time on, King’s College Choir has maintained the highest level of professionalism, shown here in this nine concert tour of Australia by the 17 boy and 14 adult male choristers.

That said, I was a little disappointed that Monday night’s programme was given over to French, Italian, and American works. The only two “English” works came from Handel, who was originally German, and Edgar Bainton, who in middle life moved to Australia and was, for 11 years, Director of the NSW Conservatorium. But where was Hubert Parry, William Byrd, and above all, Edward Elgar?

Nevertheless, you couldn’t fault the singing which was faultless from beginning to end. The concert opened with Handel’s Zadok The Priest, always a rousing piece, though better suited to a vaulted cathedral than a concert hall. Giovanni Gabrieli’s O magnum mysterium, devised originally for two choirs singing across at each other, resulted in perfectly balanced choral stereophonics.

The singers were given a break while organist Harrison Cole played the fiendishly difficult  Les Anges from Olivier Messiaen’s La Nativité du Seigneur written in 1935. Messiaen’s compositions straddle most of the 20th century and I have to say are something of an acquired taste, delicious caviar for some, over salted fish roe for others.

The main course, delivered after the interval, was French 20th century composer Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem. Mixing chant, quasi-Renaissance counterpoint, and harmony derived from Debussy and Ravel, this is a 45-minute work of almost constant gentleness, with none of the musical diversity of the other great classical Requiems, such as those by Mozart or Gabriel Fauré. In a way it mirrored the whole evening, pleasantly gentle on the most part, with little to stir any emotion other than reflection.

Full marks however to Director of Music, Daniel Hyde, who took over in 2019 from the famed Sir Stephen Cleobury, who held the post for 31 years. He has these choristers beautifully drilled and the boys actually look like they understand what they are singing, not always easy with choristers as young as eight. They are at their most impressive when the sound is reduced to little more than a whisper, but still audibly in tune.

CONCERTS TO COME

Adelaide Town Hall, Wednesday 31 July 7.30pm & Thursday, 1 August 1.00pm

Canberra ANU School of Music, Saturday 3 August 7pm

Perth Concert Hall, Monday 5 August 7.30pm