Musica Sacra at St Michaels, Remuera

By WILLIAM DART

Robert Ramsey is a shadowy figure of 17th-century music, known only for a few volumes of choral works. The indefatigable Indra Hughes had chosen seven of Ramsey's motets as the pillars of Musica Sacra's Saturday night concert, which took its title from one of the composer's finest pieces, How Are the Mighty Fallen.

The unrelentingly hard, if heated, pews of St Michaels were a small price to pay to experience some magnificent choral singing in a worthy acoustic. The success of the evening lay in the rapport between Hughes and his chamber choir. He coaxed them to revel in the sheer sound of the music they made, particularly the young, vibrant tenors of the group and the forceful alto section.

Tudor composers weren't backward in using the occasional dissonance to make a point, and Ramsey proved to be no exception. Musica Sacra made the most of them, particularly in How Are The Mighty Fallen, where the David and Jonathan story had inspired an especially emotional setting from the composer.

The motet's final line, "and the weapons of war destroyed", repeating the last word for emphasis, must have had many in the audience thinking of the deepest hopes of our own grim times.

But is Ramsey such a radical spirit, one wondered? True, the voices entered quirkily in In Monte Oliveti but, on the other hand, O Vos Omnes had what sounded like a medieval moment at the words "sicut dolor meus".

The resourceful Hughes kept up interest even when the music was less than inspired. Ramsey's weakest offering, O come let us sing unto the Lord, started on a roll but ended up treading musical water. Little touches such as a hearty accent on the word "magnify" were appreciated.

A selection of motets by Palestrina, Gibbons and Weelkes set the Ramsey in context. The opening number, Palestrina's Dum complerentur was lusty and joyous; 30 minutes later Weelkes' O Lord, Arise, was less focused in terms of pitching.

After interval, Bach's great motet Jesu Meine Freude was an ambitious choice. As might be expected, Hughes made the most of the drama, especially when Satan came into sight. He was a stickler for the work's dramatic rests, although occasionally the sense of pulse drifted a little. In the demanding three-voice sections which, on the whole, were admirably sustained, phrases sometimes relaxed into mere successions of notes.