Vox Urbane
Dan Ludford-Thomas director
Resonus RES 10387
This London-based choir, who are quite new to me, and probably to you, perform 13 works by eight composers, all based in London; hence the ‘ Urbane’ of their title.
The longest work entitled From Telegraph Hill, opens the disc, words and music by 31-year-old Jago Thornton. This sets the scene with luminous harmonies as you look across the landscape towards London in the evening light .
However, with so many new pieces I will draw attention to a few which seemed especially interesting. One was Song of the Sirens by Barbara Dudek (b.1989) in which the choir make various mysterious whistling sounds and wave noises (the sirens) before the soprano soloist emerges singing in a sort of jazzy, gospel style. I am glad however to have the texts of these pieces as the words were not especially distinct.
Much of the music on this disc is tonal, (possibly with a few more occasional challenging harmonies) but none more so that than Margaret. There is a strong south London connection here, one of two pieces recorded by Lillie Harris. The text, which reiterates the name of ‘Margaret’ is taken from memorial plaque in St. Mary’s Church in Lewisham. She was a nurse, midwife and a surgeon and died in 1643.
Quite clearly Dan Ludford-Thomas stamps a distinct personality onto the choir and its repertoire, and he is represented by a very touching setting of his own words, One, set with slightly spicy harmonies but beautifully placed on the voices.
Emily Hazrati contributes two works, one Sweeter than Honey for female voices sets a twelfth century poem and the other, The Time has Come is witty if somewhat confusing mixture of speech and jazzy melody setting Lewis Carroll (part of The Walrus and the Carpenter) and a traditional nursery rhyme.
Karensa Briggs is probably the best known of the composers here. Of her two pieces the most striking is Tree at my window, text by Robert Frost, which like her Inner Light and many of the works on this disc, is reflective and slow. The voices are accompanied by, I think, wind chimes and a sustained upper D creating a magical atmosphere.
On the surface you might think it odd that the disc ends with two settings by Francis Routh(d.2021) – a carol, Balulalow, a straightforward and tuneful setting, and a more complex and intense setting of John Donne’s words At the Round Earth’s Imagined Corners.
The Francis Routh Trust, in part defrayed the cost of the CD’s production. The is a very interesting essay by Helen Meyerhoff , this is certainly a choir to follow.
Review by Gary Higginson