The danger of too much sameness in a whole hour’s programme of spirituals is obviated by the variety of pace and mood and more particularly of arrangements. One (The Battle of Jericho) is for choir only, four are sung as unaccompanied solos, some divide the interest equally between choir and soloist, others have words sung by the soloist while the choir hums. All are tastefully performed, without an over-sophistication of harmonies and with due allowance for an element of quasi-improvisation. The slow ones do not outstay their welcome (though I stood on the River of Jordan comes near to it), and the fast ones (Ain’t that good news an attractive example) do not syncopate too obsessively.
The performances carry conviction, Hendricks singing with fervour and sometimes quite surprising fullness of tone, and the choir blend their rich voices with well-practised skill. A keen sense of rhythm pervades throughout. Occasionally the soprano’s intonation raises a query (as at the end of Ole time religion and Study war no more), but generally all is well. I’ve been in de storm so long and There’s a man goin’ round are indeed most beautiful. For a very different, and much more sophisticated, style of performance in such pieces, Hendricks’s collaboration with the pianist Dmitri Alexeev (EMI, 12/94) is worth a reminder.'