Schola Cantorum
Queen’s Hall 5/8/24
Schola Cantorum de Venezuela, Maria Guinand conductor, Luimar Arismendi associate conductor, percussion
No-one present at Saturday night’s Opening Concert, ‘La Pasión Según San Marcos’ is likely to forget the experience of the massed forces of the National Youth Choir of Scotland joining singers from the Schola Cantorum de Venezuela in singing ‘s Osvaldo Golijov’s magnificent music. Maria Guinand has been the driving force of the Schola Cantorum of Venezuela and instrumental in the development of La Pasión for many years and today she brings seventeen adult singers, who have been part of the Schola Cantorum movement since they were children, to the Queen’s Hall for a programme of a cappella song.
They stand, dressed in black with yellow sashes, the women behind the men as they start to sing. Alberto Grau’s ‘Kasar mei la gaji’ (the earth is tired) contains chants, clapping, repetitions, sibilant whispering, outbursts of odd sound patterns, and also choreographed movements around the stage singly or in groups, often using pieces of material as props. It is the first of a sequence of songs moving from darkness to light. Maria Guinand, in her introduction, speaks of artists’ responsibilities to respond to the contexts of our lives today, the damaged environment and the world’s conflicts. The two sections from Ginastera’s ‘Lamentations of Jeremiah’ contain passages of contrapuntal singing and also harmonising in complicated rhythms. The intimacy of the Queen’s Hall suits this style of performance in which movement is an integral part, and draws us in to this complex, sometimes difficult music. As the sequence of songs turn towards the light, the choir sings James Macmillan’s ‘O Radiant Dawn’ – in perfect English – and as beautifully as could be wished. I hope the composer hears it!
After the interval the choir wait in white tops and black trousers with different coloured fabric sashes, often repurposed as head coverings, as Maria Guinand tells us that the next songs will reflect different religious and community rituals from all over the Americas. Outstanding in this section are five short pieces from Canadian composer R Murray Schafer’s ‘Magic Songs’ based on the environmental beliefs of First Nation Canadians, which often use humour to make their points. They combine complicated sound repetitions with animal cries. ‘Chant to bring back the wolf’ contains passage of ad lib howling, while ‘Chant to make fences fall down’ rises to discordant lengthy shrieks which most structures would have difficulty resisting. Like some of the compositions in the first half, these songs are challenging pieces of contemporary music, witty certainly, but exceedingly difficult to sing with this finesse – and obvious enjoyment!
Gavilán’s ‘El guayaboso’ brings us back to the traditions of Venezuela in celebratory dances which allow the singers to show off their pretty impressive moves. We’re invited to join in the chorus of the final ‘Vassallos del Sol’ while the choir members dance and sing round the aisles.
The poignancy of the music and the delight of the choir in their performance made this an emotional concert. Maria Guinand began by telling us that many of these young people have never been out of Venezuela and cannot believe that they are in this beautiful city. She advises us to “Cherish it in your hearts for your whole life.” As for their own situation, “We think we deserve to have a country with a future.” The Venezuelan flag is waved on stage and from the balcony by audience members during the prolonged standing ovation, with some singers and not a few in the audience in tears.
Parts of this concert can be heard on Radio 3’s Classical Live at 1pm on Tuesday August 6th and at 1pm on Thursday 8th August, and on BBC Sounds.
