BREMF: Palestrina Crawl – BREMF Consort of Voices, James Elias (director)

Twenty minutes is quite long enough polyphony on a Saturday morning, especially when sung so well. It left a golden glow and an excited expectation because these quality performers were straight off to perform again, the same six well-chosen works, forty-five minutes later in their next venue. The twenty minute set was well rehearsed and clearly no effort to perform (longer programmes have taxed their endurance before now). In the encouraging acoustic of St Paul’s the blend of these voices was polished, their phrasing refined. They demonstrated beautifully in these few masterworks why after 500 years Palestrina is still held in such great esteem. It was an enchanting way to open this year’s Brighton Early Music Festival, which promises so many more delights.

St Paul’s Church,
20 September 2024

Rating:

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594):
Kyrie from Missa O magnum mysterium
Tu es Petrus
Loquebantur variis linguis
Spirito santo, amore
Sicut cervus
Exsultate Deo