BY PAUL BALLAM-CROSS, RUNNER-UP IN THE 2016 CUTCOMMON YOUNG WRITER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION
Since its beginnings almost a decade ago, the Australian Chamber Choir has become renowned for its powerful and moving performances. While it sings music from across the centuries, the group has a special flair for the music of J.S. Bach.
In this spirit, the ACC will present a series of concerts focused on the motets of Bach. Director Douglas Lawrence answers a few question ahead of his concerts with the choir from June to August.
How does this music, sung in a different language, still resonate with audiences today?
A good question. If you eat a very ordinary pasta – say, spaghetti bolognaise – in Italy, it tastes different somehow. It is a question of context. It feels right. It’s more complex with language. Composers fit words to music and more often than not, translations don’t quite fit, so the music sounds clumsy. Some of this is subjective, some not. I would say: ‘it just doesn’t sound right’.
Have conductor John Eliot Gardiner’s thoughts on Bach in the book Bach – Music in the Castle of Heaven affected your interpretations of this music in any way?
Yes, I’ve read his book and gleaned a lot from it; mostly inspiration, as I have spent a lifetime studying Bach, playing his music in Germany, and listening to fellow German and Austrian musicians performing it. Eliot Gardiner adds a lot of history, but it is his subjective comments which encapsulate his deep love of the music which affect me most deeply.
You contrast the music of J.S. Bach with that of other composers, including Messiaen. Do you feel Messiaen’s music reflects or complements that of Bach’s, or is it instead their differences that are most illuminating?
All good music complements good music! Some works seem to fit better than others, true – but much of this planning is based on my emotional reaction to various works. It is not, at least in my case, a logical exercise. Having said that, I try to establish an ebb and flow between lively and reflective works. It is not a musical idea to sing two Bach motets one after the other. The temperature needs to drop between the two motets.
O Sacrum Convivium is in the program because I consider it to be one of the greatest short works for choir ever composed. It sits very well with the ethereal Allegri Miserere and the pulsating, exciting Singet dem Herren ein neues Lied.
The music of Johann Michael Bach, J.S. Bach’s father-in-law, doesn’t show up very often on the concert platform. Can you tell us a little about this music?
I came across Das Blut Jesu Christi in a bookshop in Tuebingen. It is a beautiful, simple motet. There are nine motets in the catalogue and a handful of well-crafted ensemble pieces. As organist, I have played two of his fine chorale preludes. Das Blut is in the program because it is: 1. by a Bach; 2. fits with the ebb and flow of the program; and 3. is simply lovely.
From this program, is there a particular piece that you and the choir are looking forward to performing?
Sorry to be boring – but all of them. Well, Singet is the finest of the motets, so…
What should audiences expect from these performances?
A wonderful, absolutely in tune, pitch perfect, linguistically informed choir with each singer intelligent, well-educated, and committed to the best performance possible. We aim to transport the audience.
The Australian Chamber Choir will perform Bach in the Castle of Heaven across the country until August 28. The first concert takes place in Middle Park on June 12, and you can find all the details at www.auschoir.org/bach-castle.
This feature is part of CutCommon Young Writers’ Month. About the author:
Queensland composer Paul Ballam-Cross has a Bachelor of Music in Performance from Griffith University, a Master of Information Studies from the University of Canberra, and is studying a Master of Philosophy in Musicology at the University of Queensland. He regularly reviews for Limelight Magazine, is a presenter at 4MBS Classic FM, and is a tutor and lecturer at various institutions.
Image supplied. Credit: Ponch Hawkes.
