Carol: Lo, there a Rose is blooming
Pitts
The First and Last
Dunstaple
Sanctus sine nomine
Pitts
Seven Letters: To the Angel of the Church in Pergamum
Pérotin
Viderunt omnes
Byrd
Heu mihi [Ad Dominum cum tribularer]
Pitts
Libera me
Amen
Carol: O come, o come Emmanuel
Tonus Peregrinus
Anthony Pitts
Readings by the Reverend Alan Walker
Reviewed by: Matthew Skelton
Reviewed: 20 December, 2005
Venue: St Benet’s Chapel, Queen Mary University of London
2005 marked the centenary of the birth of the Polish sculptor Adam Kossowski. One of his finest legacies is the series of seven sgrafito panels which grace the walls of the exquisite chapel of St Benet’s at Queen Mary University of London.
To mark this occasion, the ensemble Tonus Peregrinus, winner at the Cannes Classical Awards, and twice a recipient of Gramophone’s ‘Editor’s Choice’ for its recordings, performed a sequence of music in the chapel to an invited audience.
The programme reflected the subject of the chapel’s murals; namely, scenes from the Book of Revelation: doom and catastrophe, triumph over evil, and ecstatic praise. The music was drawn from nine centuries, including medieval sequences, plainchant, Renaissance polyphony by Byrd, and music by the choir’s director, Anthony Pitts, all exquisitely executed with a rare clarity that perfectly matched the intimate yet resonant space of the chapel. The voices were effortlessly balanced without losing their colour and individuality, producing a distinctive yet cohesive sound.
This concert was a rare chance in London to hear this uniquely accomplished choir; its expanded touring schedule for 2006 presents a welcome opportunity to enjoy further some of the finest renditions of choral music in the UK today.