Georg Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Chandos Anthems, Volume 2
No.4: O sing unto the Lord
No.5: I will magnify Thee
No.6: As pants the Hart
Lynne Dawson (soprano), Ian Partridge (tenor), The Sixteen Choir & Orchestra / Harry Christophers
rec. 11-13 October 1988, St Jude’s Church, London, UK
Chandos CHAN0504 [Presto CD, 58]

Handel’s eleven Chandos Anthems are having a moment on disc. Presto has resurrected this recording around the same time as Jonathan Cohen and Arcangelo released their recording of four anthems, including No.4 and No.6 here (review). This one is rather different: still lithe and responsive but with more forces and, therefore, a bigger sound. Both are valid, however, and confirm that there is not only more than one way to interpret this music, but more than one way to do “authentic” performance.

The major difference with Arcangelo’s mostly one-to-a-part recording is that The Sixteen employ multiple musicians and singers to create a full, if small, orchestra and choir. The first thing one notices is that, in this 1988 recording, there is much more body to the orchestral sound. This dials up the warmth, and brings a welcoming softness, very inviting. The opening sinfonias have much more scale to them, for example. It is quite different from what Arcangelo offers, but it is just as valid and as valuable. 

Choral sound is the biggest difference. Here we definitely have a chorus, not a group of soloists. It is only 4 or 5 to a part, but it feels like more after Arcangelo’s transparent openness. That is very much a strength, however, an alternative approach that works very well. There is certainly no lack of precision and incisive penetration to the singing. It still has tremendous bounce and energy, but with added heft and no loss of beauty or clarity.

The energetic choruses of praise are particularly delightful in I will magnify Thee, veritably zinging along. No doubt much of that is thanks to Harry Christophers. He directs his own musicians whom he knows so well, and gets the very best out of them. Christophers understands this music deeply. He does not just go for zippy energy all the time, as in the opening chorus of As pants the Hart where he slows up for meditative breadth when it is required.

One definite advantage is that a larger group underlines the dramatic contrasts between the soloists and chorus. Handel surely intended the effect but it is diluted when the forces are smaller. On the other hand, the solo singing here is solid but unremarkable. For Christophers, only two singers sing all the solos, which is very different than Cohen’s approach. While tenor Ian Partridge sings very finely, he is no match for Hugo Hymas – but after hearing Hymas on the Arcangelo recording I am starting to wonder whether anyone is. Similarly, Lynne Dawson sings with purity and style, but she is a little anonymous in some of her arias. Anyway, I missed the effect of having several soloists take turns, so that you are regularly surprised by what is coming next. 

Reviews are not all about comparisons, of course, but it is The Sixteen if you want luxury, and Arcangelo if you want incisiveness. If I had to pick just one, I would probably chose Arcangelo’s recording, but we should all be pleased that we have both.

Simon Thompson

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