John Pickard’s Mass in Troubled Times packs a punch among his choral canon, says Ashutosh Khandekar
CHORAL & SONG CHOICE
John Pickard Mass in Troubled Times etc
BBC Singers/Martyn Brabbins et al BIS BIS-2651 (CD/SACD) 74:30 mins If the world was in crisis when Mass in Troubled Times was premiered in 2018, then the work has only gained in power and poignancy.
Pickard has only a handful of choral pieces to his name, which all feature on this album alongside instrumental works performed by two fine soloists, Chloë Abbott (trumpet) and David Goode (organ). Many of the choral works show the obvious influence of 20th-century choral masters, especially Duruflé and Howells. However, it is Pickard’s vivid setting of Shelley’s Ozymandias (his Op. 1) that prepares you for the Mass’s more dissonant and expressive world.
The Mass is a substantial departure from the traditional sacred liturgy, and writer Gavin D’Costa has provided the composer with an evocative springboard. He incorporates fragments of text in five languages, ranging from a 2015 Turkish Twitter hashtag condemning the drowning of a Syrian child refugee, to Arabic verse, Orthodox chant and poetic allusions to Edith Sitwell and TS Eliot. Throughout, D’Costa weaves the tragic tale of a Syrian father escaping the ravages of war with his young daughter.
The BBC Singers sing with unflinching commitment to a demanding score encompassing vocal techniques drawn from diverse cultural genres. Pickard showcases their virtuosity as soloists while preserving the choral integrity of the ensemble writing. Martyn Brabbins brings focus and coherence to this fascinating melting-pot. We are never in doubt that this is a work of deep spiritual intent, questioning in its faith but sure in its humanity.
PERFORMANCE ★★★★★
RECORDING ★★★★★
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