CHAMBER CHOIR IRELAND - CHOIRLAND NNF2024

Separatedby 800 years of history,and less than one mile away from its Norman-spired neighbour, the Cathedral Church of St John the Baptist stands in its Gothic glory at the top of Grapes Hill. And yet, in all of the thirty years that I have lived in Norwich, I am ashamed to say that I had not stepped inside this hallowed building. Until last night.

Withan audience packed, seven to a pew, into all of the available seating in both the nave and the two transepts, Ireland's flagship professional choral ensemble, Chamber Choir Ireland, were here as part of this year's Norfolk & Norwich Festival. Sixteen voices strong, and led by guest conductor Eamonn Dougan, what better venue could there have been for the visit of this esteemed ensemble.

The programme of six pieces, covering 500 years of choral musical composition, demonstrated just why this award-winning ensemble has become so highly acclaimed. The first half began with the titular 'chOirland', written by Irish composer David Fennessey, andperhaps a surprising selection for such a staunchly asecular location – its nonsensical lyrics taken from the choruses of traditional Irish songs and ballads. It does, however, give us our first taste of he CCI's impeccable choral clarity and tone.

'I am', written by young composer and conductor from Cork, Eoghan Desmond, takes us into more spiritual territory, reflecting both on nature and the power of God, beginning quietly yet building to a powerful climax before ebbing away again.

Between each piece, the sixteen singers – 4 sopranos, 4 Altos, 4 Tenors and 4 Basses, rearrange on the podium, finely tuning the juxtaposition of their vocal balance, and ensuring that not a note is wasted on the attentive audience.

Minimalist contemporary Estonian composer Arvo Pärt's short prayer, 'O Holy Father Nicholas', is contrasted by the 16th century Renaissance beauty of the first of Thomas Tallis' 'Lamentations of Jeremiah', the choir's sound lifting magically, drifting upwards to engulf the vast voids of the cathedral spaces.

The first half concludes with Canadian composer Cassandra Miller's 'The City, Full of People', a piece itself part-inspired by Tallis' 'Lamentations', but performed in dramatic style, as four singers remain on the podium and the remaining twelve divide into four groups of three, positioned around the vast nave of the cathedral. With memories of the Aurora Orchestra's performance of Beethoven's 'Eroica' last week in Norwich Cathedral still swilling around my Festival memory-bank, this was another stunning experience, and one that could never be recreated by listening to at home, or on headphones. Magnificent.

But yet another surprise awaited us in the second half. With the choir whittled down to just twelve voices we were treated to a performance of Caroline Shaw's 'How To Fold The Wind', a modern piece in which whistles and hisses are contrasted with full vocal blasts and breezes, mimicking the wind but yet , somehow, taking its expansive blasts and frisson and folding it into small pieces, rather like musical origami. It is certainly a showpiece with which to end such an innovative and illuminating evening of choral music from this world-class Irish ensemble.