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To be immersed in sound that hums and tingles in the ears, strums the very strings of one's being, and delights for reasons almost impossible to articulate is a rare occurrence.  Such was my experience on April 13 at Venue Visitation's performance by the Choir of New College Oxford.  Under the direction of Edward Higginbottom, the choir of thirty-two men and boys produced that astonishingly clear mixed harmony sound only possible with a row full of young trebles.  Known for their interpretations of Renaissance and Baroque music, the Choir of New College Oxford was founded in the 14^th century to provide the liturgy for the Oxford chapel.

Tuesday's concert featured many splendid 15^th and 16^th century pieces including the lovely "Mater Christi" by John Taverner  and "Inieunio et fletu" by Thomas Tallis early in the opening half.   The seamless program was interspersed with organ solos including the dramatic and engrossing "Allegro" from Elgar's Sonata in G, Op. 28.  The two most exciting pieces in the first half of the program, however, were James MacMillan's "Christus Vincit" from the Worcester Acclamations and Herbert Howells' "Take Him Earth for Cherishing," composed in 1964 from a 4^th-century poem by Prudentius translated by Helen Waddell.  Dedicated to the slain President Kennedy, the music begins in a quiet, simple, reverent mood that quickly escalates into more complex harmonies as it builds passionate intensity.

Following the intermission, the choir opened with Petr Eben's  "Salve Regina" and Adolphus Hailstork's "Song of Deborah" followed by a striking "Panis Angelicus" by Pierre Villette.  The second half of the evening showcased the choir's versatility with William Boyce's "O Where Shall Wisdom be Found" with text from the Book of Job.  One of the few pieces with organ accompaniment, it also featured a trio standing above in the choir loft.   Organist Steven Grahl was again soloist in two pieces by Louis Vierne, the quirky "Feux follets" and the hauntingly beautiful "Claire de lune."

Without a doubt, however, the pièce de résistance of the evening was Gregorio Allegri's Miserere mei, Deus. This antiphonal masterpiece is part choral, part chant with two choirs singing in response.  Again, Higginbottom utilized the extensive and balcony area of Visitation Church with the chant choir above and behind the audience.   Allegri's Miserere has enjoyed notoriety as much from its history as from its extraordinary beauty and mystery.  Forbidden for centuries to be sung outside the Sistine Chapel or written down, Allegri's extraordinary work has now been performed and recorded many times.  Marked as it is by the insistently repeated high C and ornamentation sung by a treble soloist, Allegri's masterpiece resonated through the majestic spaces of Visitation Church with breathtaking power and concluded a most inspiring evening of music.

REVIEW
Venue Visitation Series
The Choir of New College Oxford
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Visitation Church
5141 Main Street, Kansas City, MO
www.visitationfineartssociety.com

By Sarah Young

Classical and Musical Theatre Contributor

Sarah Young is a freelance writer and performer in opera, theatre, choral and musical theatre. She has been seen locally with Wichita Grand Opera, Kansas City Symphony Chorus, Kansas City Civic Opera, Lawrence Community Theatre, Chestnut Fine Arts Center and in other local venues.  She studied voice at the University of Kansas, and has been trained in artist programs at Indiana University, Aspen Opera Theatre and the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria.