October 17, 2023; Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York—Choral concerts can be tricky, especially in a cathedral. Will your seat be in an acoustic sweet spot? Will you be able to see the singers?
On October 17th, Musica Sacra presented an evening of a cappella choral music ranging from Gregorian chant to the 21st century in the exquisite, hallowed Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Seating was both on the choir stalls and the floor between them, a fine perspective under any circumstances. But Musica Sacra’s director, Kent Tritle, innovatively opted for what was referred to as “SurRound”, an opaque word that became clear the moment the program began. The 17-strong chorus moved silently throughout the hall, altering the audience’s perception and experience along the way. In other words, no bad seats, since the music came to us.
William Byrd’s Hymn for Compline, in five parts, filled the space with homophonic warmth. The audience was looking forward to a new piece by Daniel Ficcari, a 28-year-old associate organist at the Cathedral. “Blest are the pure in Heart” proved a rich work for two choirs, one each above and on either side of the audience; its effects, some fine fugatos, were welcome but not particularly memorable.
“Funeral Ikos” by the mysteriously revered British composer John Tavener, impressed with its dreary insistence; each of its three, thrice repeated “Alleluias” ending with a handsome resolution, was practically a relief.
A real treat was Arvo Pärt’s “The Deer’s Cry”, a folkloric prayer for protection based on an Irish liturgy. It is so involving in its four-minute span, its sound almost overtaken by time—the latter standing utterly still—that it took a moment to recover. Later, Eric Whitacre’s “Lux Aurumque”, with a puzzling text about Gold and Angels, was filled with dissonances to great effect. I’ll mention one more piece—Florence Price’s setting of a 19th-century song called “How can I keep from singing?” A simple but richly harmonic piece, and a joy to hear.
As the chorus moved we got to hear individual voices, inner harmonies, and, in a way, the manner in which great choral music works. By placing the chorus above, behind, and mixed in with the choir stalls for different works, the never ending panoply of tone and color put us in the middle of the creative process.
A remarkable evening.
