Silent Night
Greyfriars Kirk 19/12/24
SCO Chorus, Gregory Batsleer chorus director
Kana Kawashima violin, Fraser Macdonald and Luke Francis soloists
The second of two sell-out performances of the SCO Chorus’s popular programme of unaccompanied Christmas music, tonight’s concert focuses on hymns celebrating Mary, the mother of Christ, and its title song, ‘Silent Night’ is a specially commissioned arrangement by Lucy Walker, which retains the carol’s original simplicity while enhancing the mystical elements in the words and melody. Beginning quietly, the music gradually expands into a heavenly choir before dying away, with sumptuous phrases from the sopranos.
The words of the opening processional hymn, ‘The Truth from Above’ took us back to the creation in Vaughan Williams’ setting of a traditional folksong with a plain-chant feel. A male soloist begins, and the chorus moves forward in sections from the back, some singing the words, and others humming, till the fine setting is heard in full on the stage. We then hear two German versions of the ‘Magnificat’, the traditional hymn of praise to the Virgin. Heinrich Schütz’s 1657 composition is a complex work, with ever-changing rhythms and passages with multiple entries. The ‘Magnificat’ by Hieronymus Praetorius, the longest work tonight, combines three different elements: firstly a medieval carol, a tribute to Joseph, ‘Joseph lieber, Joseph mein’, then the increasingly ornate sections of the ‘Magnificat’ alternate with verses from the famous macaronic carol, ‘In dulce jubilo’. For some reason the well-known melody of the carol which is initially sung by the lower voices becomes less obvious in every verse so the unfamiliar soprano part dominates.
SCO first violin, Kana Kawashima, plays four violin solos in the course of the programme, two by the father and son, both called Nicola Matteis, who worked in London in the late 17th century. The younger’s elaborate ‘Fantasia’ is played first, with the elder’s ‘Preludio’ and ‘Passagio rotto’, both popular works in their day, played later. These alternate with two Bach pieces, the largo from ‘Sonata No 3’ and the andante from ‘Sonata no 2’. Kana Kawashima’s playing combines virtuosity with great serenity.
Modern British carols dominate the second part of the programme, including Judith Weir’s short but powerful advent song, ‘Drop Down ye heavens’ and James MacMillan’s fine ‘Ave Maris Stella’, another hymn to the Virgin Mary, a committed and reflective work. John Joubert’s beautifully harmonised, ‘There is No Rose’, is the first of three works which develop the medieval comparison of Mary to a rose. Herbert Howells’ ‘A spotless Rose’, with a part for a solo baritone, continues this mystical theme which is also found in the final carols. Tonight’s soloists, Fraser Macdonald and Luke Francis are members of the SCO Chorus Young Singers’ Programme.
Last year the choir moved from the stage to the aisles during the singing of the last work. This year they take their positions before John Tavener’s ‘Hymn to the Mother of God.’ Every audience member therefore has a unique experience of this ‘surround sound’, and it can be a bit of a lottery! I picked up only a few of the striking harmonies as I was near some strong bass singers. A similar problem affected the final work, Jan Sandström’s 1990 setting of Michael Praetorius’s’ Es ist ein Ros entsprungen.’ This radical version, which I’ve heard several times recently, slows the music down so that one verse takes six minutes to sing, and adds harmonies – ethereal some say. Sadly, and this is a question of taste, it seems to me to do a disservice to one of the loveliest of traditional carols with a fine four part setting.
Finally, I should apologise and explain the lack of detail in this review. Unfortunately, in an attentive audience enjoying the opportunity to “be collectively still” as Gregory Batsleer put it, I had the misfortune to sit behind a couple who directed their attentions wholly on each other. In that spirit of generosity which we’re encouraged to show these days, I firmly restrained my inner Scrooge from reacting to the whispering, giggling, hand-holding, cuddling and kissing (the last only between carols – it is Edinburgh after all). While the Covenanters may have enjoyed the freedom to birl in their graves, my concentration suffered from all that teeth-grinding…
Scrooge now pacified by that confession, I take this opportunity to wish the SCO Chorus and the readers of the Edinburgh Music Review a Happy Christmas and a harmonious 2025.
