Vespers review โ haunting clash of cultures conjures Vivaldiโs Venice
Smith Square Hall, London This resourceful semi-staging blended choral collective Idrรฎsรฎ Ensembleโs ancient chants with Iestyn Davies and Figureโs Vivaldi. Vespers. The word conjures an intoxicating aura of twilight and incense. Liturgically, itโs an opportunity for Christians to sanctify the dayโs end as the sun is setting, but its roots are deeper, stretching back to first-century Judaism. Its name, from the Greek Hesperus, hints at darker pagan origins. This semi-staged concert located Vespers as it might have been heard in Vivaldiโs Venice, within the broader and more ancient cultures of the Mediterranean. Entering to the sound of bells, the audience was seated either side of a raised platform. At one end were string players from Figure, a historical performance orchestra, crisply led by Frederick Waxman. At the other was countertenor Iestyn Davies, a troubled figure staring at a laptop and lit by a single candle. As he donned headphones, an otherworldly Kyrie drifted down from a balcony. The voices were Idrรฎsรฎ Ensemble, a choral collective specialising in the performance of Old Roman chant, the music of the early Christian Church in Rome. It was a haunting sound, open throated and ornate, its vinegary harmonies peppered with ululating decorations. Continue reading...