The Faucon (10/1/22)

Anna Tonna, mezzo-soprano; Aram Tchobanian, tenor; 2Flutes, Laura Falzon & Pamela Sklar; Adam Kent, piano 

The Faucon; On the destruction of Walsingham Abbey – John Edmunds (1913–1986)
From The Holy Sonnets of John Donne – Juliana Hall (b. 1958)
From Wherewith I Strive – Sheree Clement (b. 1955)
The Falcon – Ramiro Cortés (1933–1984)
From Música Callada, Vol. IV; Impresiones Íntimas – Frederic Pompou (1893–1987)
Chains of Love – Pamela Sklar (b. 1953)
Six Songs – John Edmunds
At the Twilight
 (World Premiere) – Pamela Sklar
Corpus Christi Carol
 (World Premiere) – Alma Hamilton (b. 1948) 

First, a few notes from the copious program notes provided. The Faucon, also known as the Corpus Christi Carol dates back centuries, most likely before 1500, since the first written example of the text was recorded in the early 1500s. Here’s a snippet of that text (in modern English):
Lully. lullay, lully, lullay!
 The falcon has borne my mate away.
….
By that bedside kneels a may (maiden),
 And she weeps both night and day.
And by that bed’s head there stands a stone,
 “Corpus Christi” (the body of Christ) written thereon. 

Now that that’s out of the way, there was a variety of music, a variety of performers, and a variety of dates of composers. There was variety in the dates/style of the texts set to music—Middle English, 6th century, 11th century, 15th century, 16th century, 17th century, dates not given. The variety of music included pieces that had a modern folk song feel as well as very many that had a similar feel—declaimed texts set against modern, angular, i.e., spiky, accompaniments. 

The concert opened with two songs by the mezzo followed by five movements (from a nine-movement work) sung by the tenor, all seven accompanied by piano. The mezzo was back for three of the four movements from Wherewith I Strive. The first and last had two flutes and piano. In between those two was a brief solo flute interlude. 

The tenor returned with the pianist for The Falcon. Four solo piano movements followed, but it was hard for me to distinguish between the four. My scribbled notes never got past three. 

Chains of Love was for mezzo, two flutes and piano. Based on a poem by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, it had hints of Spanish flair, was calm and pretty, and was interesting to me because it laid out the Spanish text and then included the English text as a sort of second verse. 

The six John Edmunds songs that followed—three for tenor, three for mezzo—had the feel of a solo madrigal (the first two), with the last being brisk and dramatic. The three mezzo offerings were chipper, quick and brief, and then slower with, again, more modern and angular phrases for both voice and piano. 

At the Twilight opened with solo flute, then joined by piccolo and piano, then the tenor, and then the mezzo. It was very modern and dramatic, if a little hard to follow, compositionally. The final work was modern but a little more pleasing to my ear. It paired the two vocalists, paired the two flutes, and used the piano to bind them all together. It actually sounded like a carol, with its gently rocking rhythms. 

I liked the concert. I would have enjoyed it better without the modern, angular phrases for voice, piano, and other instruments, that were so prevalent throughout the afternoon.

ConcertMeister