MUSIC REVIEW: Tenebrae: Music Of The Spheres - The Stoller Hall, Manchester.

The award-winning classical Chamber Choir, Tenebrae, came to Manchester's Stoller Hall this evening to sing a one hour programme of a-capella close-harmony music for the soul.

The 15-piece choir, under the leadership of their director, Nigel Short, sang songs from the Romantic, 20th Century and Contemporary periods, with seeming and practised ease, filling the hall with a rich soundscape.

It was though, one of the strangest concerts I have ever attended. There was no programme (I am assuming this is due to current COVID regulations), but there was no welcome or announcing from the stage either. The choir walked on to complete silence, performed each song in complete silence, not once acknowledging ther audience until the very end. No-one clapped or showed any appreciation at all either until the end. It was eerie. To see 16 people all wearing masks walk silently onto the stage, and then take their masks off to sing these incredible songs so perfectly, without even a slight murmur from the audience was awkward and felt all wrong. Moreover, I had absolutely no idea what I was listening to, and, not having any prior knowledge of the programme nor did I recognise any of the songs, it was somewhat unsatisfying sadly. No matter how wonderfully the choir sang, without knowing what it was they were singing, there was definitely something lacking. And even the applause and bows at the end of the concert were somehow measured and restained. Yes, it is BRILLIANT that live concerts are taking place again, and to hear a live choir in a concert hall once again filled me with joy and indeed there were tears in my eyes last night I cannot deny that. But the strangeness and reverence of the atmosphere created by no audience interaction /acknowledgment and no applauding was unnerving and somehow unreal.

For me the quieter songs were the more successful. Once the sopranos were given rein to sing full forte the choir lost its cerebral, heavenly quality. But I must simply mention the baritone soloist who sang "full fathom five". What a super sound, I could have listened to him all day! The choir were absolutely en pointe with their entrances and exits, every one clean, crisp and clear, which is not an easy ask, even with the most proficient of choirs. Technically superb and totally controlled throughout.

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall

on - 10.7.21