Youth choir works well inside New Athenaeum

Elizabeth Bouman
Elizabeth Bouman
Southern Youth Choir: ‘The Night Sky’ 
New Athenaeum Theatre 
Sunday May, 26

REVIEWED BY ELIZABETH BOUMAN

Southern Youth Choir presented two recitals yesterday in the New Athenaeum Theatre, Dunedin.

I had thought this venue not particularly ideal for a 50-member choir, as proximity to an audience can disperse the tightness of harmonic blend, and expose shortcomings, but this was not the case.

Under the direction of Ben Madden, the choir produced an excellent programme entitled ‘‘The Night Sky’’, with a variety of vocal texts, many enhanced by sensitive accompaniment from Moriah Osborne on electric piano.

Water-filled wine glasses ‘‘played’’ with wet fingers added ethereal enhancement for Eriks Esenvald’s Stars where text by Sara Teasdale marvels at the beauty of the night sky.

Lighting was subdued and the popular opening number set the mood for the mostly calm relaxed repertoire to follow.

Seal Lullaby (Eric Whitacre) and Sureon this Shining Night (Morten Lauridsen) were silky smooth and soporific with excellent dynamics and astute accompaniment.

Neither The Moon By Night (Thomas LaVoy) a setting of Psalm 121 originally commissioned for the Saint Kentigern College, Auckland, choir (Kentoris) is now included in his anthology of works for mixed chorus ‘‘Starlight’’ relating to the evening sky.

Three nocturnes by Daniel Elder received fine interpretative word painting. Celestial seas, beauty and solitude of night received stunning blends of sound, controlled ebb and flow of dynamics and evidence of careful voice matching within the ranks.

The Day Is Done (Stephen Paulus) explored the joy of sitting quietly, reflecting day’s end .

The Moon is Distant from the Sea by David N. Childs with text by poet Emily Dickinson was more dramatic, before the final powerful and explosive contrasting Witha Lily in Your Hand (Eric Whitacre) revealed the group’s choral strength, resonance and ability to conquer challenging contemporary rhythms and dissonance.

Choir performances, like sports teams, fluctuate from year to year, and this year’s SYC is achieving a particularly high level of musicianship under Madden’s direction.

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