05/16/11 Ed Reichel: Salt Lake Choral Artists give resplendednt performance of Bach's B Minor Mass

The Salt Lake Choral Artists under music director Brady Allred closed out their season over the weekend with a moving performance of the B Minor Mass. It was a radiant account that underscored the spirituality of the work and brought out its transcendent beauty. Allred brought his keen musical sense to bear in his interpretation; it was nuanced and wonderfully sensitive to the music and text.
Right from the opening Kyrie, Allred captured the vastness and immensity of the work. His tempos were expansive and allowed the full rich sound of the chorus to sweep out over the audience. It was beautifully crafted and phrased and the chorus brought finely tuned expressiveness to their singing.
And that held true throughout the evening. The Salt Lake Choral Artists sang with a gorgeous tone that was resonant and nicely rounded. They also brought virtuosity to their singing in the faster movements, notably in the joyful Et resurrexit...