Allegri's Miserere


Even before I learned to enjoy singing in a choir, I had sung in choirs. From the time I was 10 I had tried to make my voice blend into several choirs - Presbyterian, Episcopalian, ecumenical, academic. However, due to a lack of vocal training, no ability at sight-singing and too little experience with creating harmonies with other voices, I usually stuck out as the fifth harmonic (?) voice. 

I finally realized it was probably because as a child I had heard my father singing the bass harmonies in church. And later when my own voice had changed to a baritone, I could no longer comfortably sing the melody, which was the only part I knew. It wasn't until I started singing with the Stuttgarter Liederkranz when I was 40something and was surrounded by 30 other basses that singing became fun - and easy!

For the past two years I've been singing with great joy and pleasure in the Untertürkheimer Kantorei. At present, however, due to the lock-down we are not allowed to rehearse and no groups are allowed to sing in church services. 

Therefore, it's nice to be reminded that beautiful choir music exists. Allegri's Miserere has long been one of my favorite pieces of choral music. The loose-flying (boy) soprano's high notes never fail to thrill. Here you can hear the story behind this piece which was supposed to be sung only in the Sistine Chapel. But then a young musical genius memorized it the first time he heard it, wrote it down and that was that. 

There is a lovely story of a classic interpretation - using an English text - by The Choir of King's College under Sir David Willcocks. The treble solo part was sung by Roy Goodman. If you want to smile at a fun re-telling of the day that recording was made, click here. 


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