May 22, 2022, Art Gallery of NSW

On a cool and damp Sunday evening, it was a pleasure to enter the Art Gallery of NSW to hear the Australian Chamber Choir. The theme and title of this concert was “Secret Chamber”, performed in the not so secret entrance court of the Art Gallery of NSW, with 19th century arches and paintings in the background (not to mention works from the 23rd Biennale of Sydney on the wall behind them). “Secret Chamber” refers to the clandestine meetings of Catholics, whose religious practices were illegal during the reign of Elizabeth I up to that of Charles I. These usually took place in private houses of the rich and used liturgical music by the likes of William Byrd. Thomas Tallis, Thomas Tomkins, Peter Philips, Robert White and Thomas Morley.

As is not unusual in these times, the Australian Chamber Choir had three members succumb to Covid at the last minute, requiring some quick substitutions. This led to their joking description of themselves as  a “replacement choir”.

The nine singers were conducted by Douglas Lawrence AM. They sang Byrd’s Mass for Five voices in Latin (the language of Catholicism) minus the Credo. Their voices were beautiful, harmonious and strong. The pensive Benedictus was beautifully sung and the plaintive Agnus Dei was particularly moving.

The mood brightened for the next work by Byrd: a setting of Psalm 81, Sing Joyfully, which indeed they did most jubilantly!

William Byrd dared a more definite leaning towards Catholicism in his 1605 collection of Gradualia, when James I came to the throne. The Australian Chamber Choir sang Ave Verum Corpus from this collection in beautiful bold harmonies.

Vigilante (published 1589) is a slightly earlier work, when fear of governmental spies was still a concern. Although the text refers to Christ’s words in the Gospel of St Mark, where the disciples are told to keep watch and prepare for Judgment Day, the audience of that day would have understood the double meaning. It was sung with appropriate feeling by the Australian Chamber Choir.

At this point, Liz Anderson, the choir’s manager (and participating alto), explained the concept of Secret Chamber to the audience, who were then treated to their rendition of Thomas Tallis’ If ye love me, written in English around the 1550’s, when such settings were popular.

The choir then sang music by Thomas Tomkins,  “the last Elizabethan”, who outlived all the other composers represented in this concert, only to find his own livelihood destroyed when Cromwell’s army wrecked the organ of Worcester Cathedral. His compositions are regarded as the final flowering of the liturgical style developed by Byrd.  I know that my redeemer liveth may have been influenced by Byrd’s teaching, and the Australian Chamber Choir sang this with restrained fervour.

They sensitively expressed the sadness of When David heard that Absolon was slain, which Tomkins wrote to mourn the premature death of Henry, Prince of Wales, due to typhoid (leading to the succession of his younger brother Charles I, who was later executed by Cromwell).

The choir rearranged themselves into two groups to sing Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis. This was sung in English, which had become standard practice when Tomkins wrote this at around 1620.

They returned to their original positions for Peter Philips’ Ascendit deus and back to two groups for Ecco vicit Leo. Peter Philips moved to Brussels in 1597, where he could freely practice his Catholicism, even becoming a priest. His musical compositions were influenced by composers of the continent, such as Gabrielli and sounded quite different to that of his English counterparts. The Australian Chamber Choir sang these works with exuberance, relishing in their musical embellishments.

Very little is known about Robert White today, but he was popular in his day and held in esteem by Robert Morley. He wrote many Latin texts, including Christ, qui lux est dies, which seven members of the choir performed beautifully.

Robert Morley featured in the last segment of this concert. They sang the well-known  April is in my mistress’ face with exquisite delicacy. Three soloists, a soprano, alto and tenor, then sang Now must I die, recureless, a lament about unrequited love. This they did with expertise, without the need of the conductor.

The full choir returned for the ever popular Now is the month of Maying, which they sang with lusty gusto. We all enjoyed it so much, that, after enthusiastic applause, they sang it again.

The audience then had the privilege of viewing the paintings in the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman art prizes, while the month of May continued to drizzle outside.

Sketches by Heidi Hereth