Saturday night’s concert went really well. Last night’s concert, however, was awesome. Having two concerts instead of one is much, much better, if only because we get a second chance to tweak everything; to fix all those little issues that might have come up the first time around. The house was packed again, and they gave us a standing ovation at the end, and I think it’s safe to say that we deserved it. And even better, apparently the reviewer agreed.

Music Review: Vox Musica chamber group never afraid to take chances

The English composer Benjamin Britten once said that everything he wrote was “an experiment.” He wasn’t talking about a hit-or-miss paradigm. Rather, he was addressing the spirit of new musical approaches, and the courage of jumping into the musical unknown.

That kind of spirit is alive and well with the female chamber vocal ensemble Vox Musica. Under the direction of conductor and music director Daniel Paulson, these 12 singers are willing to stretch musical boundaries.

This was evident in a incandescent performance of Christmas music at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Sacramento on Saturday evening.

Paulson has proved himself to be an astute programmer. He’s not afraid of including fresh repertoire for chamber choir and juxtaposing it with music from the Renaissance.

One of the most evocative of the new works performed was “O Lux” by 20-year-old Pennsylvanian Mario Burgos. This meditative work is all about the refraction of musical light into dark corners. This was intelligently and emotionally delivered by these 12 dynamic and highly focused singers.

In turn, this work was paired with the 13th century chant “Lumen Ad Revelationem Gentium.” This proved a stark contrast, with the musical approach here less a game of manipulated tonal color and more a single-handed approach to unison sound, with stunning clarity.

The evening’s program offered provocative arrangements of established works such as Anthony Lien’s arrangement of the 12th century plainsong “Emmanuel.” Lien’s arrangement gives this work, based on the well-known Advent hymn, an expansive and almost secular feel. Here, soprano Annie Coke offered a tantalizing solo full of richness and intimate warmth, while Paulson coaxed an urbane performance from his singers.

Five of the 16 works performed were arranged by Paulson. One of the most interesting was Paulson’s take on the carol “Silent Night.” Paulson’s arrangement starts out traditionally, with the classic two-part arrangement, which gives way to an almost cubist approach where vocal parts traveled into the outer limits of higher notes, flirting with delicious dissonance. This gave the carol a deeply ethereal feel.

Also noteworthy was “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming,” where the singing exhibited a delicate touch with Paulson’s tricky arrangement.

And the group exhibited a great facility for translating the work of John Tavener with a haunting and resonant performance of “The Lamb.”

With this concert, this chamber ensemble has proved, once again, it has the facility to jump into the musical unknown by daring a new spin on the ancient, and adding a compelling sheen to the fresh and new.

Happy Holidailies!