Évora – Brighton Consort, Katie Thomas (conductor)

This concert introduced me to a whole unexplored golden age of Portuguese polyphony at Évora Cathedral. Roughly contemporary with the era of England’s William Byrd up to Henry Purcell, this musical tradition retained the conservative style of Palestrina. For some items the choir sang behind and to the side of the audience. As St George’s is as large as a small Iberian Cathedral Choir, this wrap-around sound seemed more authentic than having the choir on the Chancel steps, although the singers felt terribly exposed. My favourite piece was Diogo Dias Melgas’s Salve Regina, with its Baroque chromaticism and dramatic effects.

St George’s Church, 13 March 2015

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