MUSIC REVIEW : Rare Church Works From Beverly Hills Choir

On Sunday afternoon, the Chancel Choir of Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church and the Choral Society of Southern California provided a pair of unusually gratifying reasons to spend time indoors.

Jan Hanus’ “Glagolitic” Mass, Opus 106, previously performed here only in excerpt, was presented in its entirety, followed by Antonin Rejcha’s rarely heard “Te Deum.”

The Hanus Mass, only 3 years old, follows traditional form--Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei--but is sung in Glagolitic (Old Slavonic) rather than Latin. Intended for church performance and designed for accessibility, the work is instrumentally scored simply for organ and bells.

Though eschewing the more discordant elements and layered density of his later orchestral and chamber music, Hanus has still created a work of depth and passion.

Responding pluckily to Nick Strimple’s direction, the choir provided joyful and reflective sounds of good quality, just missing the ultimate hushed, devotional feeling where indispensable. Reliable a cappella pitch and the art of staggered breathing to deliver long lines seamlessly were sketchily displayed skills.

The solos, not vocally demanding, nonetheless cry out for emotional eloquence and general grandeur of delivery, which proved beyond the capacity of Michael Samford’s tremulous baritone.

Rejcha’s 1825 “Te Deum,” in the choral mode of Handel and the symphonic one of Haydn, disclosed first-rate craftsmanship and more than workaday inspiration.

Twenty-eight instrumentalists, soprano Barbara Hancock, mezzo Susan Johnson and resourceful tenor Michael Sells joined choir, Samford and Strimple. Though no participant found fast notes a breeze and sanctuary acoustics muddied some textures, an engaging reading of a jaunty, appealing work resulted.