A posh-sounding Northumbrian

To Christ Church Spitalfields last night for 'Alchemy', a joint concert by London's Renaissance Singers and Amsterdam's Lelikoor.

This was my first visit to this venue and its warm and embracing acoustic. The two performances of my favourite work, Tallis's Spem in Alium, washed over the audience and moved more than one person to tears.

If you don't know Tallis's awesome 40-part motet, have a listen to the Tallis Scholars' performance below (sound starts after 13 seconds - enjoy the silence):

It is a truly awesome work, and very demanding of the singers and conductor. Last night's performance was just about flawless.  I've heard Spem performed in all sorts of places, from St Paul's Covent Garden, to the Royal Albert Hall (twice). Splitting the eight choirs creatively between the floor and gallery levels of Christ Church Spitalfield allowed a natural 'call and answer' between the choirs and was certainly the most rounded performance I've heard to date.

If you would like to get together with thirty-nine prodigiously talented musical friends, you can find the full score here.

Other works included the lyrical Myn hert altyt heeft verlanghen by Pierre de la Rue, Britten's Chorale on an old French carol and Rober Parsons' Te Deum from "The Great Service" - all new to me, all performed with a purity of tone and clarity of diction that is quite special.

Frank Martin's Mass for Double Choir brought us up to date, and was the cornerstone of the second half of the evening.  Though it didn't reach me to the same extent that some of the other pieces managed, it was fascinating to hear an unconvential, dare I say downbeat, interpretation of Mass.  The programme notes (which were also excellent) say that

"The opening of the Gloria speaks more of hushed awe than blazing glory"

I would share that assessment, and it was certainly interesting to have my expectations of the Gloria and Sanctus challenged.

In short, a concert worth every penny. You'd be mad to miss the Renaissance Singers' next concert on Sunday 12 October at the Temple Church, featuring Allegri's Miserere.