Gig review: Jam
THE John Armitage Memorial Trust, commissioners and promoters of contemporary choral music, made a welcome return to Scotland with this challenging programme of new works. Drawing on local talent, JAM brought together the Edinburgh University Chamber Choir, University of Aberdeen Chamber Choir and University of St Andrews Chapel Choir, Thistle Brass and organist Tom Wilkinson under the baton of conductor Michael Bawtree.
However, it was the world premiere of Paul Mealor's The Crimson Petal and the Rose for unaccompanied choir that stole the show. Set to texts connected with love and roses, this sublime music opened up from soft unison into a spectrum of warm sonorities from growling basses to soaring sopranos. The choir beautifully evoked the intimacy of the work, executing some gorgeous effects along the way.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdBeginning with a galactical fanfare, Gabriel Jackson's setting of John Addison's poem, The Spacious Firmament, for choir, organ and brass quintet rolled out a compelling celestial drama. Jackson's musical palette is large and shot through with glittering vocals, punchy brass and twinkling organ chord clusters. By contrast, his companion piece set to Colin Tan's text Yet we who neither burn nor shine offered a hushed backdrop to a joyful jazz-inspired trumpet solo.
Tarik O'Regan's tightly structured The Night's Untruth for the same forces, presented many hurdles in terms of tricky vocal lines and techniques and overall balance, which were unfortunately not cleared in this uneven performance.
James MacMillan's A New Song, for choir and organ, offered a more straightforward celebration of the voice.