MUSIC AND DANCE REVIEWS : Smith Singers at Museum

The Gregg Smith Singers returned to the County Museum of Art Thursday evening with a Bing Concert program of American music. Arranged as a chronological survey, the program closed with its major effort Smith’s own “Mass in Space.”

In introducing the work, Smith cited the influence of Ives’ dictum about using spatial distribution to illuminate the structure of a piece. Smith’s dispersal of his singers around the hall created interesting effects and clarified textures, but seemed to have little to do with his structures, which derive from the time-honored forms suggested by the Mass texts.

The predominant character of Smith’s Mass is an ametrical cascading or intertwining of sometimes polytonal sounds, though the Hosanna and the beginning of the Gloria are strongly marked rhythmically. Immersal in such caressive music is quite lulling, but, as in many minimalist pieces, the aesthetic value of being put to sleep is highly overrated.

Smith’s 16 singers presented his eminently pretty music with well-drilled poise. They seem a relatively young bunch, particularly the men, and sometimes sound light and unformed in solo efforts.

They make a generally well-balanced, secure ensemble, however, and present texts quite clearly. Under Smith’s guidance, they sang everything with the same vocal style, from New England fuguing tunes and popular “Sacred Harp” numbers through early Ives to pieces by John Biggs, Harold Owen and Edmund Najera.

The latter trio of composers, all at one time locally based, were represented by strong, highly personal Latin motets. The performances, though skilled, did not deliver their full dramatic impact.