The evening sun streamed through the great west window of the cathedral as the buzz of anticipation grew among the near capacity audience. We heard the new organ playing an unusually small role as La Serenissima tuned up – 4 string players, harp, chamber organ, the magnificent theorbo, 3 sackbutts and 3 cornetts. We were given our usual parish notices about photographs and fire exits (including a suggestion, alarming to some, that the bar was to be deconstructed to allow better access to the emergency meeting point!) and then left with a curious suggestion that Claudio Monteverdi may have composed his Vespers as an audition piece!

If that’s true, then this performance would have got him any job he was going for. The balance between choir and instruments took a few bars to settle, but once it did, this was admirable musical teamwork, directed with skill and subtlety by Samuel Hudson.

The opening chorus, Deus in Adjutorium (O God Come to Our Aid) created the perfect, plainchant atmosphere that Monteverdi’s Vespers grow from. This was well handled, although a few nerves showed in intonation of the initial cadences at the end of the phrases. The musicians of La Serenissima very quickly got into their stride and they remained the foundation on which the voices built a spectacular musical edifice.

Throughout the evening, the choral sound was rich, warm and powerful when it was requiredand carefully judged when more delicacy was in order. Some moments of high quality choral singing. The stars for me, however, were the soloists and their almost operatic work in between the choral psalms. In its time, this work was notable (and slightly controversial) for taking a religious text into the realms of the secular and tonight we heard this so clearly. The soprano duets had an oddly modern feel to them in places and were the more sublime for it. Nigra Sum had exquisitely delivered piano passages that sat like musical fairy dust in the shafts of evening sun in the cathedral. In Duo Seraphim, we were given what felt like a 17thcentury take on jazz soloists swapping phrases! Terrific!

There were a few weary wee faces from the choristers towards the end, but I hope these young singers, and their older colleagues, are very proud of what was an evening of excellent music making. Bravo!