By Caroline Smith
A recent concert within St Mary’s Cathedral in Perth brought more than 800 people to hear the beautiful sounds of Renaissance music as interpreted by world-renowned English singers The Tallis Scholars.
Held on Tuesday, 8 November, the concert formed part of the group’s Australian tour, and included a repertoire of mainly Renaissance-era pieces, as well as some modern compositions inspired by Christian texts.
Cathedral Music Director Jacinta Jakovcevic said it was a great achievement for St Mary’s Cathedral to host the event, given the reputation of The Tallis Scholars and the quality of their performances.
“It was probably the most significant concert we’ve had here since the cathedral reopened, not only in terms of numbers but also the calibre of the ensemble,” she said.
“One of the highlights was the way they sing, and the way they make the music come to life. They’re so experienced and they always sing together, so they hone into what they’re doing.”
Miss Jakovcevic added that one of the group’s greatest skills was their adaptation to different venues, as well as their ability to show how Renaissance music might have sounded in the churches and cathedrals in which they were intended to be performed.
“I was impressed by the way they used the building – wherever you sing and play, you have to adjust to the acoustics and the various properties of that building,” she said.
“They came in and really filled the building – and there’s only 10 of them. The vocal combinations coming through in the vocal harmonics was wonderful – they just know how to use the building so well.
“A lot of Renaissance pieces were written with the acoustics of buildings like this in mind, so they really work in a building like this, with its high ceilings and little chapels, and the sound really has a chance to play. Here you have a richness because of the architecture.”
The Tallis Scholars – named after the 16th century composer Thomas Tallis – were formed in 1973 by Peter Phillips, who was at that time an organ scholar at St John’s College in Oxford, and who remains the group’s conductor.
Miss Jakovcevic said that such continuity helped the group maintain its core musical focus.
“As the new members come in, they come into an established musical structure, so there’s a line of continuous development,” she said.
“They’re bringing Renaissance music to new audiences. One thing I really love is that apart from doing this music, they also like to put some contemporary music into their repertoire.
“Even on Tuesday night, they sang a piece by (Estonian composer) Arvo Part, ‘Which Was the Son Of…’. It’s basically the genealogy of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke set to music.”
The Tallis Scholars previously toured Australia in 2013 for their 40th anniversary, but did not visit Perth. Miss Jakovcevic said it was a real “score” to have them at the cathedral this time around.
“They only did one concert in Perth, and to have it here was a real coup,” she said.