“Music of The Baroque” reviewed by Julia W. Rath

Giovanni Gabrieli’s music anchored the program in several places, with his all-instrumental fanfares and his cantorial music in Latin. Also sung in Latin was Juan Gutierrez de Padilla’s “Joseph, fili David.” This was preceded by “Hanacpachap cussicuinin”, written in Quechua, an indigenous language of Peru; the singing was accompanied by the pounding sound of a drum. This hymn was followed by several written in Spanish by Francisco Guerrero (which make up a good deal of the selections) as well as those by Gerónimo Gonzales, Juan García de Zéspedes, and Juan de Araujo. Soloists Susan Nelson (soprano), Victoria Marshall (alto), Michael St. Peter (tenor), and Ian Martin (bass) were prominently featured, with Nelson’s voice especially polished and beguiling. The organ prelude to de Araujo’s “¡Ay, andar!” set the tone with verve and gusto—with its verse and chorus.

Gabrieli’s “In ecclesiis a 14” closed out the first half in grand fashion, with the two of the soloists singing from center stage and one atop each of two pulpits. Organist (Stephen Alltop) and cellist (Anna Steinhoff) plus horn accompaniment added to the glistening vocals.

After intermission, the brass ensemble gave a stellar performance with “Capriccioso a 3 Cornetti” by Johann Vierdanck and “Sonata for 4 Trombones” by Daniel Speer. Trumpeters Butler, Jennifer Marotta, Scott Quackenbush, and Alex Schwarz and trombonists Mark Lawrence, Jay Evans, Randall Hawes, and Jared Rodin did a majestic job adding flair to the concert!

Now what would a Christmas concert around be without including the music of the great Johann Sebastian Bach? His motet “Lobet den Hern, alle Heiden”, BWV 230 was notable not only because of its organ introduction (Alltop) and its compelling countermelody but, of course, all the solemn voices in German. We also heard two carols by Michael Praetorius, the first being “In dulci jubilo”, which contains a macaronic text that mixes German with Latin. (Note that Praetorius brought Baroque music from Venice to Germany, so it’s only fitting that he would produce a carol in two languages, one of which being in the vernacular.) Once again, vocal soloists Nelson, Marshall, St. Peter, and Martin were featured, and in addition, they were joined by alto/contralto Sophia Heinz.

A highlight of the program was the “Te Deum laudamus”, with its handbell ostinato: an annual tradition of Music of the Baroque. Founder and conductor laureate Thomas S. Wikman (who passed away in October 2023) created this version of the music. Bell ringers Susan Nelson, Ryan Townsend Strand, and Jan Jarvis stood in front of the church while chorus members lined the aisles: with high voices in the left aisle and low voices in the right. Together they engaged each other in the responsive chanting of vespers. “Solemn Tone” (as compared to “Simple Tone”) was listed as a descriptor in the program, because Christmas counts as a high-ranking feast day worthy of “Solemn Tone” chanting. Note that when the chorus members sang from the aisles, there was a very different type of reverberation as compared to when they sang from the altar.

“Te Deum laudamus” was immediately followed by Andrea Gabrieli’s “Alla battaglia”, an instrumental composition that worked very well as the chorus rearranged itself just before the second Praetorius hymn “Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen.” Since I was following the libretto, I knew that this was the final number, but the audience hesitated to applaud at the end. Perhaps a carol with a more triumphant climax and a grander scale would have made the audience a bit more animated, and people would have realized that this was the conclusion of the concert. An additional Giovanni Gabrieli hymn might have served as a bookend and a more definitive ending.

All that being said, there were lots of songs for the chorus to learn. Not only were the selections and their performance excellent but so were the smooth transitions from one piece of music to the next. Also superb was the staging and reconfiguring: when choral and instrumental musicians moved from one part of the church to another with barely a break in the action. What’s perhaps most important to remember, however, is that Megill once again did a superior job in bringing out the elegance of Baroque era music with the caring way he conducted the chorus and the brass ensemble. What a joyful noise! What a gorgeous recital!

Music of the Baroque’s Holiday Brass & Choral Concerts took place at these dates, times, and venues:

Thursday, December 19, 7:30 p.m., at Grace Lutheran Church, 7300 Division St., River Forest, IL
Friday, December 20, 7:30 p.m., at St. Michael Church, 1633 N. Cleveland Ave., Chicago
Saturday, December 21, 2:00 p.m., at Saints Faith, Hope, & Charity Church, 191 Linden St., Winnetka, IL
Sunday, December 22, 2:00 p.m., at Alice Millar Chapel, Northwestern University, 1870 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, IL

For more information about future performances of MOB and ticketing, please go to: https://www.baroque.org/ or call 312-551-1414.