The Sixteen, Durham Cathedral

The Sixteen, who are marking the 400th anniversary of the death of the Spanish renaissance composer Tomas Luis de Victoria, presented an inspirational concert to a packed Durham Cathedral. Performing works composed in praise of the Virgin Mary, the singers projected a purity of sound that laid bare the architectural structure of the music in all its polyphonic glory. The first half of the evening opened with a spacious Salva Regina, its flowing lines lovingly shaped by musical director Harry Christophers. A composer who soaked up the tradition of polyphonic and counterpoint while working in Rome, Victoria was one of the greatest exponents of choral music his time. He delighted in exploring the possibilities of the voice with brilliantly inventive writing; encapsulated in the The Alma Redemptoris Mater, which is packed with musical ideas. The Sixteen handled the nuances and complexities of the piece with consummate skill, while they gave a thrilling rendition of Gaude Maria Virgo. Victoria relished painting pictures with his music. One of the most vivid portrayals comes in the six-part motet Vidi speciosam, where the choir sings of seeing the “spirit rising like a dove”. One felt transported heavenward as their voices soared up the tower and swirled around the cathedral's nave. The singers lingered on the “lilies of the valley”, while one could almost conjure of the aroma of the myrrh and frankincense. The concert was brought to a stirring climax with Victoria's setting of Litaniae Beatae Mariae. An enriching evening.