Westminster Choir delivers an outstanding performance

The Westminster Choir, singing Friday afternoon in Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul, nearly bulged out the windows at several points during its outstanding concert.

The program was a mixture of standard repertoire and new works, some written especially for the group. Conductor Joe Miller was in sure control, everything was excellently sung and texts were clearly enunciated.

The only quibble — some things were just too loud. Works by William Byrd and Thomas Weelkes suffered from overkill. Those 17th-century composers could never have imagined such an avalanche of (gorgeous) sound.

The program opened with "Lucis Creator optime," a text from the Latin liturgy set by Vytautas Miskinis. The piece was chorally thrilling, though somewhat at odds with the spirit of the text.

Byrd's "Haec dies," though pumped way up, had exciting moments, even if the tenors did begin to shout a bit before the end and swamped the women. Weelkes' "When David Heard" likewise was a choral steamroller, but to grand effect.

"A Child's Prayer" by James MacMillan brought two soloists out into the body of the church to sing antiphonal, intertwining lines above a wash of the choral sound.

Brahms' "An die Heimat" was total joy, the German text crisply projected and the composer's many dynamic changes carefully observed. "Neckerein," also by Brahms, was splendid.

Singing at this point without a conductor, the men and women flirted and courted, changing partners frequently and never missing a note. Who ever said Brahms couldn't be fun?

Hayu Yudaw's "Music and Dance of Mountains and Seas" was conducted by I-Chen Yang, Miller's assistant. The Taiwanese folk-music-based work mixed sung and spoken text to thrilling effect.

Alfred Janson's "Sonnet No. 76" featured baritone Zachary E. Coates singing Shakespeare's text over a constantly varied choral accompaniment. A fascinating work.

"Loch Lomond," with baritone soloist Michael Tedesco, had an authentically Scots sound, and when the men began the tune of "Scotland the Brave" as a counter-melody it was a tear-inducing moment.

A prolonged standing ovation brought two encores, "They Say that Falling in Love Is Wonderful" and the traditional closer, Peter C. Lutkin's "The Lord Bless You and Keep You."

The concert will be repeated on June 6.