Kodály reviews

Poulenc’s delightful and often moving Mass in G sprang from a mid-life reconversion to the faith of his youth. The prevalent mood is one of celebration which St John’s Choir captures admirably; there is also a lively engagement with the contrasts which make the Gloria so appealing. Poulenc’s tendency to pair phrases can, in the wrong hands, lead to a slightly monotonous effect, but with careful shading, as is the case here with Andrew Nethsingha, the results add significantly to the music’s sense of direction.