Elaine and I went to sit in on the dress rehearsal for the Chorale's a cappella concert at the Carmel Mission on Monday night. The major work is the Tenebrae of Don Carlo Gesualdo di Venosa, a Renaissance composer who was known for extreme chromaticism, and even more for killing his wife. Even though quite shocking in its day, the Tenebrae sounded right at home when sung in conjunction with Poulenc's 4 Motets in the time of Lent.
The Chorale has a wonderful sound, and it was a treat to be able to hear them in that acoustic without the sound being sucked up by 400 people! They did a very nice job with very difficult music - which is a fraction of what they have to sing for the festival. They are certainly earning their money this year. Director Andrew Megill has deftly brought disparate singers together from across the country and made them sound like they'd been singing together for years. It was a real treat.
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