Vox Luminis: Light and Shadow

Performing songs from the time of Elizabeth I, Belgian choir Vox Luminis put on a melancholy show of evocative, haunting singing and startling technical ability. The first two pieces from Thomas Tallis were the highlights of the evening, with a slow pace letting the songs breath: the harmonies languidly overlapping in a deliciously melodic manner. Baritone Olivier Berten wandered to another part of the church to deliver some subtle, stunning vibrato in a Robert White song, and the singers moving to different parts of the church were a great way to alter resonances and created a sense of variety in the performances. The singing was unstintingly gorgeous, and although I would have personally preferred some applause between songs to lift the eerily silent mood, some might have preferred the reverent solemnity.

All Saints Church, 13 May 2016

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