By Murray Black
The Australian I 12 December 2011
BY their very nature, Christmas concerts are formulaic. Regardless of what else is programmed, a selection of well-known Christmas carols remains obligatory. But that doesn’t mean Christmas concerts have to be unimaginative.
The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra’s Noel! Noel! concerts are a good case in point. Here, the mandatory Christmas numbers are always interspersed with less familiar choral and instrumental pieces. Two years ago, it included a fascinating sprinkling of baroque Latin American music and last year we heard some intriguing new compositions and arrangements.
This year’s Noel! Noel! was slightly more traditional but no less rewarding. Favourite Christmas carols such as Once in Royal David’s City, Silent Night and O Come All Ye Faithful were mixed in with a selection of Renaissance sacred music, Spanish and Portuguese folk songs and baroque instrumental works.
The Brandenburg Choir is the centrepiece of the Noel! Noel! concerts. Previously, I have praised its excellent diction, good dynamic control, well-blended sonorities and strong sense of line. Once again, these qualities stood out.
However, what also impressed in this year’s concert was its stylistic assurance and timbral variety. The polyphonic complexities of the two Renaissance sacred works, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina’s Assumpta est Maria in caelum and Jubilate Deo by Giovanni Gabrieli, were illuminated by their textural clarity and radiant tonal purity.
The three Spanish
and Portuguese folk songs required a different approach and the choir was equal to the task, creating invigorating, idiomatic renditions with its earthy, hard-edged timbre and incisive rhythms.
Even the Christmas carols sounded refreshingly new-minted thanks to the choir’s enthusiastic, evocative performances. Hearing Silent Night sung so beautifully in a cappella, four-part harmony reminded the audience of its devotional origins and the reason why it is popular.
Throughout, the choir received strong support from the ABO’s instrumental ensemble. Its percussive, propulsive accompaniments spiced up the Iberian folk songs while its soft-grained sonorities provided gentle backdrops to the more reflective works.
The instrumental solo spots were equally impressive. Saxophonist Christina Leonard’s sinuous phrasing and appealing tonal warmth created a compelling account of Tomaso Albinoni’s adagio from the concerto in D minor, Op. 9, No. 2. In Vivaldi’s La Folia trio sonata, violinists Matt Bruce and Ben Dollman and cellist Anthea Cottee flamboyantly showed off their
virtuosic chops.
Thirteen years on, the ABO has established a deservedly winning formula in Noel! Noel! It has proved that interesting programs and enthusiastic performances create a devoted audience. One looks forward to what next year’s instalment brings.