I really looked forward to tonight’s performance of the Monteverdi Vespers — one of my all-time favorites. In case you are not familiar with the work, it was composed in 1610 by Claudio Monteverdi and is a collection of opulent choruses, virtuosic soloists, and an eclectic mix of old and new styles. It consists of 13 large movements including traditional psalms, a hymn, sacred concertos, and a grand Magnificat. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and scaled for major feast days, merging church devotion with lavish court music.

Tonight as I watched the choir process into the choir risers, I couldn’t help but think back to the performances of the Monteverdi Vespers in November 2010—almost sixteen years ago! We performed it as a celebration of the piece’s 400th anniversary.Even though tonight there were many more choristers tonight, I was struck with this memory because the choir was wearing red and blue cassocks, just as we did so many years ago.

The Three Choirs performance of the Vespers, conducted by Samuel Hudson, was joyous and glorious, and I loved hearing the period instruments. The unforgettable sound of the trebles soaring above the brass and strings took place in my favorite movement, the “Sancta Maria.”

I found this video on YouTube of this movement. It’s not the same group, but it gives you an idea of the music.

We stayed for the late night concert (starting at 10:15 pm) of Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms,” in addition to two works by Ian Venables (“God be merciful”) and Neil Cox (“Requiem Canticles”) which had similar instrumentation. Jonathan Hope directed the Saint Cecilia Singers of Gloucester, an excellent chamber choir which has been in existence for 70 years.

The Chichester Psalms is another of my favorite pieces—I think I have performed it about four times — three times under my husband Carl’s baton, and once with the University of Hawaii. The organ part is challenging, to say the least. It features a countertenor soloist, sung tonight by Tom Lilburn, who was excellent.

I didn’t book our accommodations correctly and we’ll be packing up tonight to move to another house in nearby Cheltenham for the last day we’re in the Gloucester area.