Above : Members of The Muffat Collective ( l to r) : Anthony Abouhamad, Anton Baba, Matthew Greco and Rafael Font
Sydney Chamber Choir, now in its 45th year, has established itself as a group of singers who can clearly present music from centuries ago to present day with equal power and impact. Their recent concert began 2020 with a unique version of Handel’s Messiah with reduced vocal and instrumental forces to those typically assembled for this work.
Conductor Sam Allchurch in collaboration with an extended Muffat Collective quartet delivered an intimate but compelling communication of the Christian themes, in a completely fresh celebration of this loved oratorio.
Performed during Lent as in the 1742 Dublin premiere, this was all our favourite music stripped to its solid outline, using just six voices per choral part and eighteen instruments.
This musical tapestry of this small vocal and instrumental group was tightly woven, dynamically led by Sam Allchurch. Even though the instrumental forces were small and the choir compact, we missed none of the force nor expressive drama of a rendering with more sizeable or massive festival-style assemblies of hundreds of voices.
Above : Soprano soloist Amy Moore.
Sydney Chamber Choir drew upon its solid tradition of delivering polyphonic music from the Baroque and much earlier to present such moments with fluid, virtuosic ease. There was a wonderful swoop to such choruses and we oncemore enjoyed the signature smooth delivery of counterpoint from this choir’s selected voices.
Sam Allchurch made sure the text was a key factor determining the pace and shape of movements such as ‘And With His Stripes We Are Healed’, ‘He Trusted In God’, ‘And He Shall Purify’ through to the
unfolding of the mighty ‘Amen’.
Added to the choral success in such sections as the above was the glory of some full walls of declamation. Here, choral strength came not from sheer volume and number of voices, but from balance and blend, atmosphere and clarity and exquisite listening across the hard working choir.
Choruses such as ‘The Lord Gave The Word’, ‘But Thanks Be To God’, ‘Since By Man Came Death’ and a measured, finely nuanced ‘Hallelujah’ were never lacking drama or bounce in this version. They rather rang out with renewed energy and inspiringly well -harnessed focus.
Above : Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Dillon.
Several times the anatomy of the four parts was so much more clearly exposed with only six voices per part that usually heard. We could enjoy Handel’s vocal lines afresh or with freshly carved emphasis often lost in the melee and reverberation of a larger choral group.
The early music instrumental experts assembled with the four members of The Muffat Collective spoke boldly and beautifully throughout. As with the choir, their delivery including energised articulation and well-pointed phrasing to support the text and mood of movements was unwaveringly excellent.
From the ranks, small in physical number this ensemble ‘dug in’ and let a delightful amount of air in as the requisite large dramatic moments were easily conveyed.
Added to the elevated layer of this instrumental voice was the consistently enlightened approach to the various texts by the four soloists.
From tenor Andrew Goodwin’s initial ‘Comfort Ye’, with
sympathetic colouring from the instruments, we knew the flow of the emotions and enthusiasm required to be expressed in this oratorio’s discussion were in safe and nicely variegated hands.
His work in ‘Part the Second’ surrounding the crucifixion of Christ expecially bristled with drama, fine elaborations, stunning tone and pathos.
Above : Tenor soloist Andrew Goodwin.
Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Dillon graced us with a clear, penetrating exploration of the story with superb diction and subtle drama. Her vibrato-less voice was a sublime and magnetic addition to this exciting stage.
Soprano Amy Moore shone in evenly placed comment, and with the other soloists maintained a level of interesting and tasteful ornamentation. ‘He Shall Feed His Flock’ was a crystal clear celebration of joy. This was a rendering to dazzle existing and emerging fans of Messiah alike.
Above : Bass soloist Andrew O’Connor.
Bass Andrew O’Connor was, as always, a worthwhile addition to the stage as soloist. He sang and guided his storytelling with sensitivity. Early numbers such as ‘This Saith The Lord’ and ‘For Behold,
Darkness / The People The Walked in Darknness’ were all-encompassing in their gravity.
Later, ‘The Trumpet Shall Sound’ was full of a special joy and was a great example of celebrating Handel’s writing for soloist and orchestra.
This concert was one of the last in Sydney prior to closures of venues and cancellations for health reasons. We were fortunate to have heard it and to be so thoroughly inspired by it.
May it bring us luck, health and hope as only a good seasonal Messiah can. And maybe bring a future recording of its unique brilliance and successful approach.
This concert’s concept also included an interval meal option raising money for charity, in keeping with Handel’s charitable affiliations. This is a practice that would be well worth continuing when regular concert life resumes in this city.