NCH, Dublin
There’s a good chance that what is considered one of the greatest classics of the choral repertoire was never intended by Bach to be sung all in one go. The different movements of what we now call the Mass in B minor were composed over 25 years and not assembled for performance until a century after his death.
The result is a massive sing for any choir, not least because of Bach’s uncompromising view of the human voice as just another instrument. It’s hard for a choir to do all of it equally well. For Our Lady’s Choral Society – performing it for the first time in 24 years and commemorating the 325th anniversary of Bach’s birthday, March 21st – the gap between the successful and less successful occasionally grew wider than they would have liked.
In general, it was in the slower, sustained movements that there were problems, mostly to do with intonation which often threatened to go or else just went, as in the "Credo in unum Deum" and "Et incarnatus est" sections of the Credo. These lapses came as surprises in a performance which otherwise boasted many assets. The more lively choruses were characterised by strength, balance and confidence – whether in four, five, six, or eight parts – with a powerful sense of celebration in the risen Christ at "Et resurrexit", and of joy in the movement originally written for Christmas Day, the "Sanctus".
The four soloists were well-matched. The men – tenor Robin Tritschler and bass Ian Caddy – had the lesser workload, with Tritschler combining sensitively in his duet with soprano (“Domine Deus”) as well as shining on his own in the “Benedictus”. Soprano Colette Boushell deployed her clear, forward-placed voice to excellent effect, even her highest notes sounding sweet and effortless. Above all, the young alto, Chloe Hinton, made a statement with her measured and mature performance. She clearly merits the cliché, one to watch.
Holding all the Mass’s constituents together – including trumpets in the balcony and some fine obbligato solos, notably on oboe d’amore – was conductor Proinnsías Ó Duinn who kept the big picture to the fore and chose speeds which sustained forward motion, but allowed time for breath and reflection.
