Sunday afternoon's two concerts closing the BBC Proms' Bristol weekend offered contrasting rituals: Tenebrae's grand procession in St George's Bristol and a violin-bow duet at Bristol Beacon.
Tenebrae's Path of Miracles
Nigel Short's chamber choir Tenebrae marked their 25th anniversary with Joby Talbot's Path of Miracles, a 2005 commission inspired by the Camino pilgrimage. The piece, with a cult following, unfolds from a low drone into radiant chords as singers surround the audience, moving in circles and forming quartets.
The performance was superbly sung, with high sopranos and basses achieving feats of endurance, but the venue's creaking floors and heat, plus an audience member fainting, disrupted the choreography, grounding the heavenly vision.
Kafka Fragments at Bristol Beacon
At Bristol Beacon, Sakari Oramo exchanged his baton for a violin, joining soprano Anu Komsi for György Kurtág's Kafka Fragments, a piece they've performed for nearly 40 years. The 1986 work sets 40 shards from Kafka's diaries, ranging from tender to absurd, and in Kurtág's centenary year, it distills his playful, rich music.
Komsi and Oramo's calm, focused interpretation felt like a search for truth, exploring each musical door without forcing interpretation. The performance is available on BBC Sounds until 12 October; the Proms continue until 12 September.
