Luminescence Chamber Singers | Glass Heart
March 20, 2024, The Neilson, Walsh Bay, NSW
At the stylish and elegant Neilson theatre in Walsh Bay Luminescence Chamber Singers presented an enchanting program that delicately wove together 500 years of love songs and break-up anthems. From Renaissance madrigals to the contemporary arrangements of P!NK and Sting, the evening was a heartfelt exploration of love, in all its glorious mess.
The concert opened with Monteverdi’s Sestina: Lagrime d’amante al sepolcro dell’amata a haunting portrayal of love’s grief and lamentation. With expressive melodies and evocative harmonies, the singers painted a vivid picture of a lover mourning at the tomb of their beloved, setting the tone for an evening of profound emotion and artistry.
Director AJ America, accompanied by a soft male drone, delivered a stunning lament that was both guttural and clear as a bell. A Chantar M’er by Beatriz, Contessa di Dia, is a medieval Occitan song speaking of love’s enduring power despite criticism and scorn. Soprano Rachael Mink’s ethereal voice intertwined beautifully with America’s alto lending further emotional depth.
William Cornysh’s 1545 song Ah Robin, Gentle Robin brought a playful touch to the program. Depicting blokes sharing stories of loves lost and found, it was a fun and lively round that showcased the three male voices’ versatility and charm.
Switching deftly to more modern works, David Lang’s I Live in Pain was a highlight of the evening. A desperate plea for solace in the face of heartbreak, the female voices shone in this bleak and ominous piece full of dissonant harmonies and fragmented rhythms, it was sung with precision and intensity. Kudos to Brianna Louwen who stepped in at the last minute for soprano Veronica Milroy for this concert series, the trio sounded well-rehearsed and connected.
Drew Crawford’s When the Heart Is Cut or Broken, a work commissioned in 2015 by The Song Company captured the tumultuous journey from heartache to healing with Michael Leunig’s delightful poetry set in intricate polyrhythms and soaring melodies. “When the heart is cracked, cut or broken, Do not touch it, let the wound lie open, let a bird lean in the hole and sing a simple song like a tiny bell, and let it ring”, and ring it did! Glorious.
Orlando di Lasso’s Matona mia cara provided a moment of lightheartedness and joy, with its spirited energy. The singers brought the lustful courting song to life with their lively interpretation, capturing the fecundity of youthful love with exuberance.
Eric Whitacre’s A Boy and a Girl offers a more poignant reflection on love, stretching his typical lush harmonies like the passage of time the voices created an intimate atmosphere that evoked a sense of longing and nostalgia, a great choice for this program.
Luca Marenzio’s Baci, soavi e cari served as a sensuous and intimate exploration of love’s desires and pleasures. Wild hunger, sweet, gentle kisses, gratification and sleepiness. According to Roland Peelman‘s notes, “the composer creates a subtle game of rapturous abandonment, both titillating and humorous.” Correct. If you followed the translation of the Italian text in the program you would certainly have felt the flickering tongues and intertwine of voices evoking intertwined bodies… is it hot in here? All in all though I think the singers were just a smidgen too coy for the subject matter!
Another highlight was the Finnish folk song, Kaipaava arranged by Rajaton. Rachael Mink and Dan Walker’s solos were both strong and full of passion combined with Nordic understated sorrow and to my ear their Finnish diction sounded convincingly perfect.
The concert concluded with contemporary pop songs arranged for six voices, including P!NK’s Glitter in the Air arranged by Roland Peelman and Sting’s Fragile arranged by AJ America. While vocal choral arrangements of pop songs are not always my cup of tea, Luminescence Chamber Singers approached these with elegance and sophistication including a lovely mellow baritone moment from Lucien Fischer and a surprisingly ‘saxy’ bit of mouth trumpet from Alasdair Stretch. They were a fitting end to the performance, in fact the whole concert was silky, colourful and stylish, can’t wait for more from this group.
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