Musica Navideña in Salamanca

A Ceremony of Carols: Musica Navideña Medieval y Contemporanea

Veni, Veni Emmanuel
Angelus Ad Virginem
Orientis Partibus
Red Book of Montserrat (excerpts)
Benjamin Britten: A Ceremony of Carols

Polyphonic Choir, City Choir of Salamanca
Chamber Choir of the Municipal Music School, Salamanca
Director: Antonio Santos

San Esteban, Salamanca, 21 December 2016
********************

This was a well rehearsed and choreographed evening of some of the finest Christmas music, both medieval and 20th century.

Director Antonio Santos took full advantage of the magnificent setting of St Stephen's church in Salamanca, Spain.  The opening Veni, Veni Emmanuel, drifted to our ears from the entrance behind the audience.  There was nice play of acoustic space between the Polyphonic Choir and The Chamber Choir on the altar. Finally, the Britten opened with the Processional sung as the choir entered down the nave.  Just the kind of aural effect Britten himself created on disc in his classic recordings.

Choral honours clearly went to the Chamber Choir.  Both as soloists and as a group they projected their sound with great accuracy and character.  Mariam Matrem from the Red Book of Montserrat a particular highlight.  Such a cavernous acoustic inevitable resulted in a loss of focus at times, but This Little Babe was wonderfully controlled by both choirs, fully deserving its reprise as an encore to round off a richly satisfying concert.

San Esteban, Salamanca - masterpiece of 17th century plateresque architecture