As a chorister I spend more time singing than attending other choir concerts. I was therefore delighted to discover this all male A Capella group Clerestory yesterday in San Francisco during my short visit this weekend.
The nine fine singers presented a mix of French, German and English Christmas music. All pieces were divided into the typical SATB four part voices and they even managed to subdivide In dulci jubilo into eight parts for double choirs.
The male sopranos and counter tenors produce an incredible pure sound, blending beautifully with the head tone of the tenors and the bass.
The most unusual item in the program is Britten's A Ceremony of Carols, a piece written for boys and typically now sung by women choirs. Last night's presentation was accompanied by a harp. I was at first taken a little bit by surprise by the effect of all male voices for this piece, thinking it's a bit like watching Matthew Bourne's all male Swan Lake. The overall singing was impeccable. My only quibble was the blend of the lightness of the harp with the richness of the male voices. In some of the fast passages, the harp made the voices sound a little too heavy and difficult to dance with the music.
Clerestory sensibly puts its previous performances online for anyone interested. You can listen to this concert on their web site later this month.
yes
ReplyDelete