Bernstein and Mahler in Hereford Cathedral

National Youth Choir of Wales; National Orchestra of Wales; Conducted by Carlo Rizzi

By Peter Fletcher

Serendipitously, the alarms went off in the cathedral just before the audience came in for this afternoon’s concert. The wind section of the orchestra, who were not required for Bernstein’s ‘Chichester Psalms’, gave an impromptu al fresco rendition of Richard Strauss’ ‘Serenade for Winds’ Op 7 which delighted the waiting crowd.

And they didn’t mind waiting for this stirring performance.

The strings, brass and percussion orchestra made a declamatory start in an energetic, syncopated 7/4 time, the first of several references to ‘West Side Story’. The countertenor solo, securely sung by Daniel Jones, set the slightly bluesy tone of the piece with flattened thirds and sevenths abounding. Muted trumpets, led by Chris Bowman, and higher voices were added and then boisterously interrupted by the low voices, reminiscent of Carl Orff’s ‘Carmina Burana’ followed by a return of the countertenor solo. The second section opens with Bernard Hermonesque strings and again muted trumpets. A long-held note leads to an enharmonic key change for the choir, another echo of WSS. A beautiful ‘cello solo by Nia Evans was supported by the other ‘cellos and the harps. This theme is taken up by the lush sound of the full strings and vocalized by the unison choir, leading into a quartet comprising Daniel, with sopranos Jemima Grey and Caitlin Hockley and baritone Samuel Snowdon.

Bernstein thought that although his (successful) aim was for this piece to be youthful, it was far too difficult for ‘youth’ to perform. These young performers proved him wrong.

Appropriately teamed with Bernstein was the even more daunting task of Mahler’s ‘Symphony No 5’. This five-movement marathon began with the famous minor fanfare leading into a funereal march in the low brass and strings. Mahler’s obsession with death was evident from the outset. The second movement is also minor but was much more urgent. The theme was presented by the ‘cello and answered by the wind. Notable was the well-schooled raising of their bells by the clarinets and oboes to balance the large orchestra. It finished with yearning suspensions. The third movement was major but still with thoughtful minor sections. It was much more pastoral in character with bucolic horns, and reeds against violas. There was a powerful horn solo by Erin Hassan followed by pizzicato strings and staccato bassoons. At the end of the movement the horn returned, echoed by trombone.

The Adagio was for strings and harp and exhibited heart-rending pathos and moved attacca into the horn call, answered by reeds, of the fifth movement. A huge fugal section leads into a triumphal ending.

And a triumph it was. Carlo Rizzi had conducted a masterful display of youthful exuberance, demonstrating that, despite all the obstacles placed in the way of musical education, the musicians of tomorrow are ready, willing and more than able to face the challenges. Possiamo sperare, Maestro!

Pioneers of Percussion

All Saints Church

Joby Burgess, one of our finest and most exciting percussionists, explored some of the exceptional 20th century composers who have worked in the medium. Surrounded by a plethora of exotic, mostly metallic instruments, Joby gave us ‘Seasons’ by Toru Takemitsu. There were a tam-tam, a large metal sheet, metal rods rubbed by resinated gloves to produce ethereal notes, finger cymbals, a suspended cymbal, a singing bowl, a lithophone, a bell tree, a deconstructed cymbal and an oil drum. All of these were treated with a number of techniques including being struck with a variety of mallets and sticks, stroked with a violin bow, rubbed with a rubber mallet or tapped with the hands. The result was the unfolding of an atmospheric soundscape, at times redolent of Eastern temple music and often having the same meditational quality.

‘Can’t Sleep’ by Rebecca Dale mainly featured the vibraphone, again played either by being struck with mallets or by being bowed to produce a singing quality. The fairly short phrases were captured by a digital looper which would repeat them as required so that other phrases could be superimposed in a minimalist fashion. This piece was more melodic and, although very chromatic, used tonal harmony.

Linda Buckley’s ‘Extasis’ again featured the vibraphone, bowed and struck. Added to this was a gamelan; an Indonesian instrument of tuned gongs. There was also pre-recorded material, vocalized by the composer. Rather than being melodic, this was sustained, changing harmonic colour; very chromatic so that the occasional diatonic chord came as a surprise.

An older piece from Iannis Xenakis, ‘Psappha’, was played from early grid notation. This indicates the attack of the notes in a time frame, inferring that the duration of a drum note is indeterminate. And drums there were: an array of toms, boo-bams, bass drum and kick drum in a frenzy of polyrhythms. There was a section of very dramatic pauses between explosive strokes which led to the introduction of pitched metal plates and a splash cymbal. Very avant garde for the mid 20th century.

Finally, we heard ‘The Filthy Fifteen’, a satirical jab by Nicole Lizée at the PMRC, a body inaugurated in 1985 for the censorship of music. A video of reportage had been cut and the soundtrack sampled and processed to make a rhythmic framework along with which Joby played. All in all, an intriguing night and an enthralling glimpse into the world of percussion music.