There’s a lot to be said about this stellar performance of choral excellence at its highest level from the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge. They’re performing Ēriks Ešenvalds’s piece “Only in Sleep” which is an A cappella piece.
The first thing I noticed about this performance was the (slouched) sitting position of the choristers and singing A cappella. That makes breath support and singing at this highest level of choral excellence very difficult. But they were able to do it. Looking closely at the choristers — including their breath support — they looked like they were singing to me and not acting as though they were singing. The classical music armchair critics argued over that; they have to argue over something, you know!
It should be pointed out that it’s even a bit difficult to sit up tall and sing very quietly and to give a similar performance as an Orchestra Chorus is expected to do in Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 (“The Resurrection”) as well as in one of the movements of the Brahms’s EDR (Ein Deutsches Requiem). Those are two examples where the Chorus is seated for singing very quietly. The armchair critics were arguing over whether the Trinity College Choir choristers were lip-syncing to their Hyperion recording of this work rather than singing it live. I think it was live, but I’m not here to argue over it. Instead, spend the time enjoying their music.
The soprano soloist for this performance has a lovely voice. Her name is Rachel Ambrose Evans, which none of the classical music armchair critics knew — no one used her name; instead she was called “the soprano soloist” — or knew how to look up or took the time to look up her name. It was not hard to do; it took me about 3 seconds. The armchair critics also aren’t big on attention to detail. Someone wrote that the Choir of Trinity College had received a Grammy award. Well, they should have been awarded with many Grammy awards in the Best Choral Performance category, but what the Choir really received was a Grammophone (magazine) award. That’s not the same as a Grammy award; they are two different things: “The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge has become the recipient of a prestigious Gramophone Award for its recording of Herbert Howells’ Requiem & other works.”
As I said, this stellar Choir should have won many Grammy awards at this point, but I suspect that politics had something to do with that. Just as politics is involved with (corrupt) international piano competitions, based on whose present or former piano instructor is on the jury or similar corruption and sleaziness.
I was sorry to read that Stephen Layton, their Director of Music at Trinity College Chapel (Church of England/Anglican), resigned to begin a longtime goal of his which is to conduct around the world:
“‘It has been a joy and an exceptional privilege to work with The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge for so many years. Beyond the services, discography, technological advances and touring successes, it is the students who form the major part of my legacy: those members of this extraordinarily gifted group who changed the nature of a ‘college choir’ into a leading artistic professional beacon on the world stage. ’I warmly wish them rich success for the future and I know that they will go from strength to strength.’ Layton’s guest-conducting career will see him continue to tour the world each season, working with leading choirs, orchestras, and composers. His interpretations have been heard from Sydney Opera House to the Concertgebouw, from Tallinn to São Paolo, and his recordings have won or been nominated for every major international recording award.”
Maybe Stephen felt he was in a rut at Trinity, having really achieved all that he could at Trinity College, with them having the finest Choir or one of the finest choral ensembles anywhere. And that they are.
After listening to “Only in Sleep,” (video above) I rhetorically asked my friend, “Why can’t the soprano section of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus (TFC) sound like the sopranos of The Trinity College Choir?” He said: ”Because they don’t want to sound like that and some of the current and or former TFC choristers don’t want them to sound like that. They want to sound screechy, wobbly, fluttery, shrill and cackling.” Yes that does seem to be the case, and the same for the sopranos and altos of the New England Conservatory Concert Choir and some other choral ensembles. They don’t sing with perfect intonation either which is a failure of the Chorus Director not doing his or her job properly. Or the choristers selected through audition are incapable of perfectly blending their voices together. Or the Chorus Director is one of those plebs who doesn’t believe in perfect intonation for women’s voices — WHAT? — like at New England Conservatory (NEC). I’m sure some NEC Concert Choir choristers will rush to the defence of their Director who is not doing her job and say, “We love our Choir Director.” Well that’s nice, but love has nothing to do with someone not doing their job properly per the salary they are receiving to produce choral excellence. NEC is clearly not getting their money’s worth out of said Choir Director as that person rides on the coattails of Westminster Choir College.
Steven Grahl has been appointed Director of Music at Trinity College Cambridge, commencing in January 2024. ”Currently, Steven is Organist (Director of Music) at Christ Church Cathedral (Anglican), Oxford, and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Music at Oxford University. He is also Conductor of Schola Cantorum of Oxford (Oxford University Chamber Choir), and Musical Director of Benson Choral Society. Steven is active as a guest conductor, as an organ recitalist and accompanist, as a teacher, and as a composer and arranger.”
Well, we shall see how that turns out. I’m always concerned when a new Chorus Director takes over an already stellar ensemble. What, if anything, do they plan to change, which, in some cases, can change things for the worst. Leading one to ask: ”What happened to them?” Hopefully that won’t be the case here, but will instead seem like a rather seamless transition between Layton and Grahl. And Grahl will continue in the “footsteps” of Layton.