Reviews

GSA: Lirum, Lirum
December 12, 2023, Monticello Arcade, Norfolk
Review by John Campbell

Dr. Stephen Coxe designed a musical evening around the 16th century madrigal Lirum, Lirum. Arranged by David Giardiniero (2007) after English Composer Thomas Morley (1557-1602), it has a modern text that retains the ancient meaning)—praise to the Christ Child and to the cast of characters around his birth. The lightness, even joy of the word lirum is the focus here. Dr. Coxe built a program of seldom heard music related to the holiday season.

"Lirum" refers to a lyre; some say it refers to a hurdy gurdy (a Medieval stringed instrument that produces sound by a hand crank-turned, rosined wheel rubbing against the strings.) and some say it's equivalent to the phrase "fa, la, la."

Some twenty-eight student instrumentalists played violin, viola, cello, bass, oboe, bassoon, trumpet and timpani. A chorus of thirty-eight offered an experience of wonderful music at the Monticello Arcade. Singers ringed the second floor balcony above the orchestra at floor level. Coxe conducted from the harpsichord. The arcade has a lively, open acoustic reminiscent of a small cathedral with the first floor area behind the orchestra all decked out with trees and lights.

The opening was Sinfonia to "La Statira" in C Major (1726) by Tomaso Albinoni (1671-1751), whose themes were later used by Bach. With high spirits the opening Allegro movement was followed by the quiet, measured tread of the Andante that led into the grand outburst of the Allegro that gave full voice to the trumpets, oboes, bassoon and timpani. Coxe seemed to levitate from his seat at the harpsichord, bouncing in time. Without pause the strings burst forth O Praise the Lord with One Consent HWV 254. The singing was glorious in G.F. Handel (1685-1759) Chandos Anthem No. 9. GSA alumnus Ted J.C. Thomas added those rich, deep tones.

Next came O Come, O Come Emmanuel arranged by Paul Langford (1991) with the tender, youthful voices, delicate like spring water for a thirsty afternoon. The featured soloists were Riah Lubansky, Savannah Stephens, with Sophia Bourcier, Sophie Hill, Nalani Las Marias, Morgan Mottley, Jolie Ragin, Aurora Sauer. These young women also sang Lirum, Lirum reviewed in my opening paragraphs.

Cicut Cervus (1604) was composed by Giovanni Pierluigi de Palestrina (c.1525-1599). More very old music with a very brief text: "Like as the hart (young, female deer) desireth the water brooks, so longeth my soul after thee, O God." (1611 KJ Psalm 42:1). Abigale Bodvake, Olivia Lawrence, Avery Eure and Sienna Dennis joined Sophia Bourcier, Sophie Hill and Jolie Ragin, with Robert Evans, Xavier Thomas and Devin White creating the vocal balance in this refined musical style that offered us a comforting melody.

Al HaNisim (2006), a prayer for Hanukkah and Purim by Rochelle Potak and Bob Emerman, offers thanks to God for miracles, mighty acts, victories and past wonders for this time of year. The excellent soloists were Morgan Mottley and Jolie Ragin.

Then followed a World Premiere of a song by conductor Coxe written in 2023: Rise up, my love, sung by sixteen, young female voices to text from Song of Solomon 2: 10-13: "For lo, the winter is past...flowers appear...singing of birds is come..." We heard "beautiful" spoken by an audience member seated behind us. A perfect response!

Next came Myn lyking (1912) a fifteenth-century text set as a folk tune by Richard Terry (1865-1938). Terry was an English organist, conductor, composer and scholar who raised standards of choral singing to new heights. He was knighted in 1922. The chorus and chamber orchestra with soloists Sophia Bourcier, Nalani LasMarias and Aurora Sauer sang the song baby Jesus' mother sang at his birth: "Lullay my dere herte, myn own dere derling," joined by angels. The strings were beautiful.

The grand finale included an original choral song from 1567, Psalm 2 "Third Tune" by Thomas Tallis (1505-1585). This was followed by Ralph Vaughan Williams' well-known Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (1919) for chamber orchestra.

The closing songs were from Handel's Messiah (1741) If God be for Us and the most glorious Worthy is the Lamb/Amen. The Hallelujah Chorus comes at the end of Part II and Handel composed an equally marvelous closing piece for Part III: "Blessing and honor, glory and power...for ever and ever. Amen." It was powerful music with the most sublime strings with soprano voices. The sound expanded, then solo violin spoke and the chorus rumbled with the orchestra, building layers of excitement and we were bathed in the spectacular sound.