THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 8, 1994 TAG: 9412080020
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E3 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Music review
SOURCE: By MARK MOBLEY, MUSIC CRITIC
LENGTH: Short : 37 lines
FOR NEARLY AN HOUR and a half Tuesday night, four women did nothing but sing old, simple music softly. And hundreds were entranced.
Anonymous 4, one of the major classical-music success stories of recent years, appeared at Hampton University's Ogden Hall. The a cappella vocal quartet specializes in music of the late Middle Ages, and its recordings are critically acclaimed best sellers.
Their program carried the same title as their CD ``On Yoolis Night,'' and likewise featured English Christmas music from the 13th to the 15th centuries. They produced the same warm, mild, virtually affectless and consistently pleasant sound that fans find haunting. It is the kind of pure tone designed to carry in a resonant cathedral acoustic.
The atmospheric carols, motets and hymns seemed to provide eyewitness accounts of the Annunciation and Jesus' birth. But the lilting carol ``Lullay: I saw a swete semly sight'' had the sturdiness of a more modern English folk song. The pieces were interspersed with readings from a 14th century telling of the Christmas story.
In faster, complex music, and in a few supporting passages, the singers lost some focus. The program notes were extensive but did not include complete texts and translations.
Before the concert, Hampton Arts Commission director Michael P. Curry appealed to the audience to write the chief of Hampton University police and ask for help in alleviating pre-performance traffic jams. by CNB