Review Details
MUSIC IN THE UNIVERSITY ALTERNATIM! 10 THE FRIDAY SCHOLA
Alan Cooper
04 December 2009
King's college Chapel
The final concert in the Alternatim series paid its own special tribute to the rapidly approaching Festive Season led by Frauke Jürgensen at the Aubertin to perform a delightful programme starting with a French Noël by Daquin and followed by the Récit de tierce en taille from the Gloria of a Mass by de Grigny as well as his fine Alternatim setting of A solis ortus cardine, having its own special connection to Christmastide.
The Friday Schola singers were out in full force for this concert sounding strong, clear and full bodied both in their plainchant: Creator alme siderum, and in their very special contribution to the de Grigny Alternatim.
Daquin’s Noël II en dialogue, duo, trio played by Frauke with suitably earthy blending of authentic French stops on the Aubertin clothed itself in just the right rustic atmosphere. One could imagine a beautifully lit painting of the time. Imitative counterpoints conjured up a gathering of French villagers raising their pots de vin on high as they joined in canonical style in the tune of their favourite carol. The sense of celebration and of simple communal devotion was nicely rendered in this music.
The Récit from the Gloria had the richness and refined complexity that must have appealed to Bach and the Alternatim setting was even more impressive. Starting with the attention compelling sounds of the Plein jeu, it moved on to a fulsome and rather noble five part fugue before a trio in which luminous flutes floated above the attractive throatiness of a mixture dominated by the voix humaine. The magnificent Point d’Orgue sur les Grands Jeux brought out not just the shining glory of Christmas but with a joyful dance-like finale, its mood of celebration as well.