The Elmer Iseler Singers and their conductor Lydia Adams returned to live performance at Eglinton St. George’s United Church yesterday with a programme that included the World Premiere of Timothy Corlis’ Om Saha Nāvavatu.  The first half of the programme though consisted of four shorter works.  First up was Three Motets to Our Lady by Healey Willan.  The piece sets three texts; two invoking the Virgin Mary and one from The Song of Songs.  They are conventional but effective polyphonic settings and were very skilfully performed.  I’m not a huge Willan fan (heresy I know)  but I really enjoyed these.

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