Vancouver Contemporary Orchestra; Vancouver Chamber Choir – Christopher Tyler Nickel : Mass; Te Deum

Christopher Tyler Nickel is a Vancouver-based composer who often writes works based on Christian sacred texts. His catalogue already includes a Requiem and a monumental seven-hour Gospel According to Mark. This Mass and Te Deum, written at the same time during the Covid-19 pandemic, are in the same vein. Melodic and tonally centred and accessible, the two scores are bathed in melancholy atmospheres that unfold gently, without aggressive dynamic upheavals most of the time.

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The ease of the themes and melodic lines is supported by some very fine passages for oboes of all kinds (oboe, oboe d’amore, cor anglais, baritone oboe, etc.). In the Te Deum, a soprano score adds light and provides a substantial challenge for the soloist, who regularly has to reach the heights of her possibilities. Here, hats off to Canadian-Irish Catherine Redding, who has a magnificent range, even in the most demanding high notes.

For the sake of comparison, imagine a few echoes of Brahms, intermingled with Karl Jenkins and Zbigniew Preisner, but in an eminently personal vein. The  Vancouver ensembles sound great, with wonderfully deep basses. These two creations are fine examples of contemporary serious but also beautiful music, crafted by a Canadian who inspires both aesthetic pleasure and spiritual uplift.