Sospiro Baroque are an Edinburgh-based choir specialising in Baroque music. This concert had been presented in Leith in June; a well-practiced and polished performance was expected, but sadly this was not to be. This workmanlike performance got the job done but had little of the crisp sparkle and precision that can make baroque music such a joy. The programme promised much and opened with Handel’s Coronation Anthems in a church redolent with royal connections. The start of Zadok the Priest sounded tired and it was well into the second anthem before everyone was warmed up and the music began to flow. All evening the calmer pieces flowed beautifully while the larger chorales and fugues felt out of control and lacked crispness as the choir seemed to want to reach the end in one piece.
The second half was Bach’s Magnificat, opened well by the brass. It contains a number of solos and duets where the performances of Nicholas Uglow and Joseph Doody were very strong and Judy Brown’s magical ‘Esurientes’ accompanied by the flutes was the highlight of the evening. After that it was back to the soggy large set pieces. These too lacked essential attention to detail. When a choir appear all in mismatched black outfits, it is clear that precision is not a high priority. Director Roderick Bryce milked all the applause that he could, leaving the podium halfway through the Handel when a retune would have been sufficient and looking very pleased with himself. I am not quite sure why.