Music / “Vespers for Kings and Cardinals”, CORO Chamber Ensemble, at Wesley Uniting Church, November 3. Reviewed by TONY MAGEE

PRESENTING two different settings of “Dixit Dominus”, one by Handel, the other by Charpentier, as well as two other pieces by the latter, CORO Chamber Music Ensemble presented an outstanding, finely polished and refined performance. It was one of the classical music concert highlights of the year.

“Dixit Dominus” is a setting using the Latin text of “Psalm 110”, from “The Book of Psalms”, part of the third section of the Hebrew “Bible” and thus from the Christian Old Testament. Versus 1 and 4 are also quoted in the “New Testament”.

Translating as “The Lord Said”, the psalm has also been set to music by Victoria, Monteverdi (twice), Pergolesi, Vivaldi (three times), Michael Haydn and Mozart amongst others.

Richard Rogers composed a partial setting in 1959, using versus 1, 5 and 7 for the opening sequence of his musical “The Sound of Music”.

One of the most impressive things about the interpretation of the three Charpentier works, which opened the concert, was the accurate, authentic and tasteful use of French Baroque ornamentation, from both choir and orchestra, starting on the note above.

Composed and first performed in 1707, when Handel was aged just 22 and living in Italy, his setting of “Dixit Dominus” it is one of his earliest substantial works, showcasing his incredible talent, skill and musical understanding as well as fresh new compositional ideas, which would influence other composers of the Baroque era over the next 50 years.

The choir and orchestra, led with precision by Barbara Jane Gilby, were much more voluminous during the Handel, rich and beautifully balanced, with superb pitch and intonation and with greater attention to dynamic range.

Throughout the Handel, one could hear sections, particularly the versus “Juravit Dominus” and “Judicabit”, which seem to have greatly influenced Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi, particularly in his setting of the “Gloria in D”, RV589.

During the verse “Dominus a dextris tuis”, an unusual combination of the two cellos in unison with double bass supported two soprano soloists with tenor and bass in a fascinating and complex musical interplay.

Wesley Church is one of the most beautifully acoustically balanced venues for this kind of music. It allows for great clarity of sound, enhanced by a gentle cathedral resonance.

At the conclusion of the Handel, CORO and the orchestra had the audience on its feet, deservedly receiving rapturous applause for this superlative and highly professional performance.