‘A Babe is Born’ - Graduate Singers
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Date Reviewed: 14/12/2019
Review written by Barry Hill
A Babe is Born is the Graduate Singers 4th and last offering for the year. Set in the grand edifice of St Pete’s Cathedral, it is their Christmas tribute.
The first half featured a collection of 11 carols from the Baroque period to modern day and what a feast it was!
It’s hard to pick a favourite. From the jollity of ‘Fum, fum fum’ to the synchronicity of ‘The Angel Gabriel’, the ‘Grads’ proved they are the choir in Adelaide to be reckoned with.
Sounding like something from ‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Torches’ initially sounded Victorian, but resonated as a modern piece as well.
‘A Hymn to the Virgin’ featured a semi-chorus that nailed the calling and answering required from this piece. ‘Coventry Carol’s’ arrangement, as well as featuring the final upward cadence of the period, nailed the dynamics to make the piece live.
The unexpected harmonies of ‘Softly, Softly’ could have been jarring, however they fostered a feeling of peacefulness. The arrangement of ‘The Silver Stars’ focussed on the words of a standard and encouraged us to rethink these words.
Jackson Berley’s arrangement of ‘Joy to the World’ was stirring and moving at the same time and cut to the core of the text. ‘O Magnum Mysterium’ was sweeping and took us straight to the core of our being.
‘Away in a Manger’ is perhaps the most famous carol ever written. Reginald Jaques’ arrangement cantered our attention on the words rather than the music. ‘A Babe is Born’ is a gem, so different from the rest of the program, with its organ solo, it was pagan but religious at the same time.
The second half of the program consisted of ‘Messe de Minuet pour Noel by Marc-Antoine Charpentier. Immediately we were transported to the 17th century French salons. No stuffy Latin Mass here.
From the from the delicate interplay of the soloists in the ‘Kyrie’ to the perfect balance of the soloists and chorus of the ‘Gloria’ it was joy.
Due to the acoustics of the cathedral the balance between the soloists with lower vocal ranges and the musicians was not always balanced resulting in the vocalists being not clearly heard, especially in the ‘Credo’.
The ‘Sanctus & Benedictus’ had a rich full sound, however some of the soloists were once again overpowered. The ‘Angus Dei’ was a fitting end to a glorious Mass.
My only real reservation with this celebration of Christmas across the centuries is the convention regarding acknowledgment of talent in a concert setting.
Karl Geiger, the conductor, is undoubtedly a master of his domain. He is in control of every aspect of the concert and his knowledge of the material and its execution is undeniable. He is a consummate musician with an unusually quick wit.
However, I would have liked the choir and musicians to actually take a bow so we could express our appreciation for their stellar work. Also, the start of the second half was slow. We, as the audience, were ready long before the performers, but these are minor faults.
A Babe is Born is a satisfying end to a successful year for the Graduate Singers, and if you missed it, you may have missed the real meaning of Christmas!