YESTERDAY'S concerts in the Ninth Dublin International Organ and Choral Festival had their engaging moments, though both were of variable quality.
At lunchtime, the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Colman Pearce, included an organ concerto in its all Czech programme. Frantisek Brixi was an enormously popular composer in 18th century Prague, but this performance of his F major Organ Concerto, in which the lively soloist was Gerard Gillen, left one wondering why. There is much about this concerto which is appealing, but the discourse between strings, wind and organ lacked an essential tension.
The evening concert, at Christ Church Cathedral, featured the cathedral choirs, the organist Ben van Oosten (a jury member for the festival's competition) and the newly formed ensemble, Christ Church Baroque.
It was characteristically ambitious that the Christ Church musicians, under their director, Mark Duley, should present a Mass setting by the 17th century French composer, Marc Antoine Charpentier, in a way which approximated to the conditions of a late 17th century Parisian High Mass.
The Messe a 8 Voix et 8 violons et flutes was reliable in its discourse between groups, which included the Girls' Choir. However, in terms of historically aware performances by Irish musicians, it felt like a promising start. In the choir, for example, the persistent tendency to a swelling attack was a mannerism rather than a judicious expressive device.
Ireland needs a true Baroque orchestra. Whether Christ Church Baroque can fill this gap remains to be seen. The neat, semi authentic playing shown in this concert is not enough: the regular presence of one or two string players with impeccable credentials in the field would be enormously beneficial.
It was significant that Ben van Oosten's improvisations on a range of given material, including the plainchant melodies, left the most authentic impression of the evening.
