CityArts Reviews Seattle Rachmaninoff Concert

CityArts critic Philippa Kiraly reviews Cappella Romana’s Rachmaninoff All-Night Vigil performance in Seattle:

“This wasn’t a requiem, but the beautiful All-Night Vigil of Sergei Rachmaninoff was highly appropriate to the day (9/11), the occasion and the cathedral, and perfectly suited to Cappella Romana. … The Vigil is replete with colors, rhythms, textures and emotion, creating a tapestry which feels sacred and often solemn. Bailey drew a masterly performance from the choir, with the Rev. Nicholas Denysenko singing the Deacon, who leads in solo chants. The caliber of the singing, strong with rare, minimal vibrato and spot-on pitch, created pure harmonies which soared through the cathedral, while Bailey elicited expressive phrasing that enhanced every detail of the text’s meaning. … The soloists of the choir deserve mention for their movingly beautiful work: alto Kerry McCarthy, tenors Nicholas Ertsgaard, Leslie Green and David Hendrix, and bass John Michael Boyer who sang the Priest. … St. James Cathedral felt the right venue for this, and a large audience gathered to hear this profoundly moving work. At the end, after the applause, the choir sang a brief coda: a prayer in English for the dead of 9/11, sung in the same style to a standard Western melody used for funerals in the church. It felt fitting.” —Philippa Kiraly, CityArts

Read the full review at cityartsonline.com