The Song Company | Fullness of Joy

November 19, 2022, The Crypt at St Mary’s Cathedral

St Mary’s Cathedral Crypt was packed to the arches, when Francis Greep introduced the final program in the Song Company’s Underground series. Due to the wonderful acoustics of the Crypt, he was clearly audible as he addressed the audience in all directions from the central terrazzo mosaic, on which the main singing was to take place. He described how this crypt provides the perfect setting for the polyphonic singing we were about to hear.

Antony Pitts then started conducting this marvellous program, beginning with the 14th century English version of Psalm 33 from John Wycliffe’s Bible, set to music by contemporary composer, David Yardley. David is a a young polymath – a medieval harpist, a counter tenor and Australia’s High Commissioner to Kiribati, as well as being a composer. His music sounded as if it was of the 14th century, and was sung superbly by the core of the Song Company as they stood around Antony in a circle.

Still standing in the middle of the circle denoted by the terrazzo mosaic on the floor. Antony then conducted  the Song Company Chorale, comprising of Song Co. members, Apprentices and choristers from across Sydney to sing the famous 40-part motet Spem in alium by Thomas Tallis. One could see the sheer joy in his expert conducting, reflecting the title of the program: Fullness of Joy. There was joy in their singing, which reverberated magically with the acoustics of the Crypt and came to a wonderful climax.

The Chorale retreated and the eight Song Company members reformed in a circle with Antony Pitts to sing the remaining fragments of the seven-part Christmas Mass (Missa puer natus est nobis) by Thomas Tallis. In his introduction, Antony expressed his hope that some day the rest of this music will be found. The music was rich and polyphonic, and some of the singers appeared to be conducting themselves as they expressed their musical feelings in hand gestures.

The choristers changed positions between movements, such that the balance of voices was slightly different every time. Implanted within the mass was his Suscipe quaeso Domine, which was full of harmonic richness with complex cadences enriching the overall effect. 

The fragmented mass was also interspersed with Tanquam sydus matutinum, by contemporary Australian composer, Brooke Shelley. This similarly styled motet celebrates the legend that the Apostle James had preached in Spain. 

A work by 17th century Portuguese composer followed – Panis Angelicus by João Lourenço Rebelo. This small masterpiece follows the polyphonic tradition of Thomas Tallis, with the female voices ringing out in ‘English cadence’, where, as Antony explained, one voice sings a sharp note, while another sings a flat one, resulting in an exquisite effect.

They returned to the Agnus Dei from the Christmas Mass by Tallis with a more sonorous sound, ending in Dona nobis pacem (grant us peace).

In Paradisium is what I felt, when Antony Pitts conducted his own composition from his Requiem for the Time of the End.. The work was full of interesting harmonies, from the  sonorous, deep  beginning to the  joyful end. 

The tenor, Dan Walker, then beautifully performed the plainchant fragment Puer natus est nobis et Filius datus est nobis, giving the larger choir time to reassemble for the second performance of Spem in alium. This time the separate choirs were further apart, distributed throughout the space of the Crypt, giving audience members a chance to hear a different balance. In spite of the challenge of conducting this piece with choristers at various distances, Antony Pitts held them together till the triumphant ending with great waves of sound reverberating through the crypt. The concert was an overall triumph, with the audience standing, as they were finally able to express their appreciation in tumultuous applause. (Silence had been requested between the works).

There was joy in the faces of the performers as they filed out. However, I was saddened by the knowledge that Antony Pitts might be conducting his last concert with the Song Company on the following day.

Sketches: Heidi Hereth