Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924)
Review of Burgess Hill Choral Society concert, 27 April 2019
Burgess Hill Choral Society was on fine form for their spring concert under the baton of Michael Stefan Wood. Together with the Sinfonietta of Sussex, a varied programme of opera choruses and Puccini’s Messa di Gloria entertained and uplifted an appreciative audience. Singing choruses by Verdi, Mozart, Bizet and Wagner, all in their original languages, was a challenge well worth taking. The demands of different vowel and consonant production for the Italian, French and German were well met, as was the Latin text in the mass. The choir provided lovely dynamic shaping in the Voyagers’ Chorus fro Idomeneo, rhythmic coordination in the famous Va Pensiero from Nabucco, an expressive communal sound in With Drooping Wings from Dido and Aeneas, a vibrant Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore and a moving and heartfelt Pilgrims’ Chorus from Tannhäuser. The Wagner, for me, was the musical highlight of the evening.
Of the three Royal Academy of Music soloists, Meilir Jones had the required platform manner and mellifluous tone to engage the audience. Catriona Holsgrove sang in the Idomeneo extract and brought clarity of tone to Dido’s Lament which was skilfully accompanied by members of the Sinfonietta. Along with the Overture from 'The Marriage of Figaro', the Sinfonietta presented two movements of the Carmen suite with gusto and obvious enjoyment. For the ever-popular Habanera, choir member Trish Symon stepped in a few hours before the concert to transport us to Seville, blowing a kiss to her conductor as she took to the stage. Wood kept the audience up to speed on opera plots as we travelled through civilisations and centuries, most, he warned, with the likelihood of our leading lady dying of a broken heart.
Puccini composed his Messa di Gloria by time he was 21. It marked, though, the culmination of his association with church music and was never played in his lifetime following the first performance in 1880. The benefit of a first half of operatic treats, including Verdi, allowed us to appreciate Verdi’s influence on Puccini’s music. The opening Kyrie immediately demonstrated this and was lyrically performed. The familiar Gloria progressed well and all credit to the basses in the Cum Sancto Spiritu section for their energetic entries. Tenor Peter Harris had the appropriate romantic timbre for the piece. High entries for the soprani and descending strings were all precursors of what would follow in Puccini’s operas, and were handled impressively by choir and orchestra, who established an effective dialogue at the opening of the Credo. The Sanctus united the choir before the impressive Meilir Jones led the Benedictus with dramatic intensity. A reprise of the Gloria brought an evening full of joy to a resolute close.
Rebecca Dowden
28 April 2019
Burgess Hill Choral Society was on fine form for their spring concert under the baton of Michael Stefan Wood. Together with the Sinfonietta of Sussex, a varied programme of opera choruses and Puccini’s Messa di Gloria entertained and uplifted an appreciative audience. Singing choruses by Verdi, Mozart, Bizet and Wagner, all in their original languages, was a challenge well worth taking. The demands of different vowel and consonant production for the Italian, French and German were well met, as was the Latin text in the mass. The choir provided lovely dynamic shaping in the Voyagers’ Chorus fro Idomeneo, rhythmic coordination in the famous Va Pensiero from Nabucco, an expressive communal sound in With Drooping Wings from Dido and Aeneas, a vibrant Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore and a moving and heartfelt Pilgrims’ Chorus from Tannhäuser. The Wagner, for me, was the musical highlight of the evening.
Of the three Royal Academy of Music soloists, Meilir Jones had the required platform manner and mellifluous tone to engage the audience. Catriona Holsgrove sang in the Idomeneo extract and brought clarity of tone to Dido’s Lament which was skilfully accompanied by members of the Sinfonietta. Along with the Overture from 'The Marriage of Figaro', the Sinfonietta presented two movements of the Carmen suite with gusto and obvious enjoyment. For the ever-popular Habanera, choir member Trish Symon stepped in a few hours before the concert to transport us to Seville, blowing a kiss to her conductor as she took to the stage. Wood kept the audience up to speed on opera plots as we travelled through civilisations and centuries, most, he warned, with the likelihood of our leading lady dying of a broken heart.
Puccini composed his Messa di Gloria by time he was 21. It marked, though, the culmination of his association with church music and was never played in his lifetime following the first performance in 1880. The benefit of a first half of operatic treats, including Verdi, allowed us to appreciate Verdi’s influence on Puccini’s music. The opening Kyrie immediately demonstrated this and was lyrically performed. The familiar Gloria progressed well and all credit to the basses in the Cum Sancto Spiritu section for their energetic entries. Tenor Peter Harris had the appropriate romantic timbre for the piece. High entries for the soprani and descending strings were all precursors of what would follow in Puccini’s operas, and were handled impressively by choir and orchestra, who established an effective dialogue at the opening of the Credo. The Sanctus united the choir before the impressive Meilir Jones led the Benedictus with dramatic intensity. A reprise of the Gloria brought an evening full of joy to a resolute close.
Rebecca Dowden
28 April 2019
Meilir Jones, Peter Harris and Catriona Holsgrove (RAM soloists) and choir, 27 April 2019 (copyright Laurence Leng)
Choir shines in The Armed Man
8th December 2018
The Armed Man was an apt and highly successful choice for Burgess Hill Choral Society’s December concert at St Andrew’s Church. Coming only a few weeks after the nationwide 100th commemoration of the Armistice of World War One, it was a timely, powerful and often sombre reminder of the ultimate sacrifice made by those fighting wars, and war’s innocent victims.
The choir, orchestra, and soloists Cydnei Baines and Jonathan Summers did full justice to their memory with a performance that captured faithfully the rousing and the reflective elements of the music of Karl Jenkins.
All this was given another emotional dimension with pictures on screen portraying the many moods from fear to hope.
Martial jauntiness from the opening piece, also called The Armed Man, quickly put the chorus into its marching stride, with some bold brass and excellent percussion. In confident mood, the choir captured not only the repetitive rhythm of the piece but also its intricate layers of sound.
A deeply moving Kyrie, with immaculately delivered and delicate inter-twined harmonies, featured a plaintive solo from lyric soprano Cydnei Baines. This beautiful plea got to the heart of the matter spiritually, with the basses and tenors of the choir infusing deep gravitas, set against heartbreaking pictures of concentration camps.
The singers showed good timing on the insistent menace of the Sanctus, their careful pacing matching the trudge of the orchestra set against haunting trumpet echoes, which then exploded into power.
Hymn Before Action sounded suitably dramatic and sacrificial. Energy and commitment oozed from Charge, with a memorable shattering climax. In soothing contrast, after the dark opening of the Agnus Dei the soft lightness of female voices brought shafts of light that hinted of peace, while its melody was captured neatly in a touching performance.
During the engaging Benedictus, the long and soothing opening melody by the cello led the singers to raise their voices to heaven in cascades, as if to assert that a full church was the natural home for this extremely soulful piece. The choir, coaxed patiently yet emphatically throughout by conductor Michael Stefan Wood, later erupted in a unified celebration of humanity in the more powerful passages, only occasionally being slightly overwhelmed by the brass and percussion.
A mood of both realism and optimism from the assertive Better is Peace was strongly portrayed by the choir in a stirring finale which eased into a peaceful climax.
All in all, the singers and musicians distilled with conviction the spirit of an impassioned call for peace.
In the rest of the concert, Handel’s stirring Zadok the Priest was sung in triumphant style in the opening half. A joyful session of Christmas carols included a touching and subtle performance of the beautiful Shepherds’ Farewell.
This escapism was uplifting for the festive season. But The Armed Man, who called after the interval, reminded everyone that Christmas and every day after will yet again bring danger, death and strife from conflict for many thousands of people, 18 years after Jenkins first saw his plea for peace performed.
By Phil Dennett, 9 December 2018
Mendelssohn Elijah, 21st April 2018
Stormy oceans, earthquakes and fires in Burgess Hill
The dramatic cry of “Help, Lord!” from the members of Burgess Hill Choral Society heralded the drama that was about to unfold in the performance of Mendelssohn's ‘Elijah’ given on the 21st April. This has become the composer’s most performed oratorio since its first performance in Birmingham in 1846. Despite its popularity, it continues to offer many challenges to choirs, soloists and instrumentalists as they attempt to unfold the dramatic account of Elijah’s life as described in the Old Testament.
This performance at St Andrew’s Church had assembled soloists capable of meeting the composer’s demands and an orchestra that could mostly provide effective support throughout the performance. The singers of Burgess Hill Choral Society provided dramatic impact to the oratorio’s narrative but with an ability to offer a sensitive contribution in quieter sections of the work. The louder fugal sections for chorus were less successful in the acoustic of this church and did occasionally result in lack of unity with the orchestra during faster tempi. However, this is a demanding work for a chorus and the audience could not have failed to be impressed by the rendering of ‘He watching over Israel’ which was the highlight of the evening. The small orchestra made an effective contribution to the performance. However, there were times when the woodwind section was too prominent and covered the sensitive singing in some of the solo items.
The soloists had the vocal qualities to do justice to this work. Clare Tunney and Frances Gregory preformed their arias effectively, with Frances providing the right levels of intense emotion in ‘O rest in the Lord’. Joel Williams used his impressive tenor voice most effectively throughout the evening. His rendering of ‘Then shall the righteous shine forth’ was beautifully sung and with total adherence to the composer’s intentions revealed in the score. The role of Elijah presents a huge challenge for baritones. The part demands an ability to deliver the drama in the soloist’s taunts before the ‘Baal' choruses and to also embrace the tender and often poignant arias found in later parts of the oratorio. Kieran Rayner sang the role with a voice well able to deliver the narrative in this work. It would have been an advantage had a greater range of expression and volume been applied to his singing in the dramatic sections that occur at the heart of this work. However, his final solo, ‘For the mountains shall depart’, deserves special mention since it was very impressive indeed with expressive, sensitive singing throughout this difficult number.
As ever, Michael Stefan Wood gave clear direction to all performers in this challenging work. He should be congratulated for performing these large-scale major works in the choral repertoire with amateur performers in the local community. On 8th December he will perform works by Karl Jenkins and John Rutter with Burgess Hill Choral Society – a date to note by all music lovers.
Viv Nicholas, 21 April 2018
Stormy oceans, earthquakes and fires in Burgess Hill
The dramatic cry of “Help, Lord!” from the members of Burgess Hill Choral Society heralded the drama that was about to unfold in the performance of Mendelssohn's ‘Elijah’ given on the 21st April. This has become the composer’s most performed oratorio since its first performance in Birmingham in 1846. Despite its popularity, it continues to offer many challenges to choirs, soloists and instrumentalists as they attempt to unfold the dramatic account of Elijah’s life as described in the Old Testament.
This performance at St Andrew’s Church had assembled soloists capable of meeting the composer’s demands and an orchestra that could mostly provide effective support throughout the performance. The singers of Burgess Hill Choral Society provided dramatic impact to the oratorio’s narrative but with an ability to offer a sensitive contribution in quieter sections of the work. The louder fugal sections for chorus were less successful in the acoustic of this church and did occasionally result in lack of unity with the orchestra during faster tempi. However, this is a demanding work for a chorus and the audience could not have failed to be impressed by the rendering of ‘He watching over Israel’ which was the highlight of the evening. The small orchestra made an effective contribution to the performance. However, there were times when the woodwind section was too prominent and covered the sensitive singing in some of the solo items.
The soloists had the vocal qualities to do justice to this work. Clare Tunney and Frances Gregory preformed their arias effectively, with Frances providing the right levels of intense emotion in ‘O rest in the Lord’. Joel Williams used his impressive tenor voice most effectively throughout the evening. His rendering of ‘Then shall the righteous shine forth’ was beautifully sung and with total adherence to the composer’s intentions revealed in the score. The role of Elijah presents a huge challenge for baritones. The part demands an ability to deliver the drama in the soloist’s taunts before the ‘Baal' choruses and to also embrace the tender and often poignant arias found in later parts of the oratorio. Kieran Rayner sang the role with a voice well able to deliver the narrative in this work. It would have been an advantage had a greater range of expression and volume been applied to his singing in the dramatic sections that occur at the heart of this work. However, his final solo, ‘For the mountains shall depart’, deserves special mention since it was very impressive indeed with expressive, sensitive singing throughout this difficult number.
As ever, Michael Stefan Wood gave clear direction to all performers in this challenging work. He should be congratulated for performing these large-scale major works in the choral repertoire with amateur performers in the local community. On 8th December he will perform works by Karl Jenkins and John Rutter with Burgess Hill Choral Society – a date to note by all music lovers.
Viv Nicholas, 21 April 2018
Christmas concert: 9th December 2017
Christmas Concert – 9th December 2017Burgess Hill Choral Society entertained a full house in St Andrew’s Church last Saturday with an interesting and varied Christmas programme. As is traditional, the audience was given the opportunity to exercise their vocal skills in between the choral and orchestral pieces. They were given their cue by the first contribution from one of four exciting young soloists: soprano Nardus Williams singing solo the first verse of Once in Royal David’s City. Musical Director Mike Wood BEM, celebrating 30 years of leading the Choral Society, ensured that we were kept on our toes.
An unaccompanied, punchy rendition of Gaudete (brought to a wider audience – certainly to us – by Steeleye Span) was followed by Alan Smith’s haunting setting of the 15th century carol ‘There is no Rose’ (pub. Oxford Christmas Music 2006). This concert was dedicated to the memory of Alan, the organist at St Andrew’s and Composer in Residence to the Choral Society from 2008–2011, who died earlier this year.
The first half ended with a performance of Bach’s popular cantata Wachet Auf (‘Sleepers Awake!’). Nardus Williams was joined by mezzo-soprano Frances Gregory, tenor Joel Williams and baritone Robert Garland in the solo recitatives and duets. It is good to see the Choral Society showcasing such an array of young talent. All four soloists are generously supported by the Josephine Baker Trust. The Burgess Hill Concert Orchestra provided subtle accompaniment, with leader Richard Sutcliffe and oboist Clare Worth tackling particularly challenging solo parts with aplomb.
After the interval, the Concert Orchestra had the chance to shine in Albinoni’s Double Oboe Concerto. Soloists David Hollingum and Clare Worth blended their tones beautifully. The brilliant final movement was taken – successfully – at a challenging pace.
The choir then entertained us a cappella with James Helme Sutcliffe’s modern (1988) arrangement of ‘Sleep, sleep little boy’, a gentle piece with exquisite harmonies.
Haydn’s ‘Nelson’ Mass began with a stirring Kyrie, featuring Nardus Williams’s liquid tones with strong support from the brass and the choir and excellent dramatic contrasts. In the Gloria all four soloists combined well. Qui Tollis was contemplative, with nice interplay between the baritone and soprano and the choir. Throughout, there was a strong sense of musical direction from Mike Wood, with deft handling of changes in tempo.
Burgess Hill Choral Society’s next concert at St Andrew’s Church on 21 April 2018 will feature a performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah. We’re looking forward to it.
Richard Light and Jacky Hilary
December 2017
An unaccompanied, punchy rendition of Gaudete (brought to a wider audience – certainly to us – by Steeleye Span) was followed by Alan Smith’s haunting setting of the 15th century carol ‘There is no Rose’ (pub. Oxford Christmas Music 2006). This concert was dedicated to the memory of Alan, the organist at St Andrew’s and Composer in Residence to the Choral Society from 2008–2011, who died earlier this year.
The first half ended with a performance of Bach’s popular cantata Wachet Auf (‘Sleepers Awake!’). Nardus Williams was joined by mezzo-soprano Frances Gregory, tenor Joel Williams and baritone Robert Garland in the solo recitatives and duets. It is good to see the Choral Society showcasing such an array of young talent. All four soloists are generously supported by the Josephine Baker Trust. The Burgess Hill Concert Orchestra provided subtle accompaniment, with leader Richard Sutcliffe and oboist Clare Worth tackling particularly challenging solo parts with aplomb.
After the interval, the Concert Orchestra had the chance to shine in Albinoni’s Double Oboe Concerto. Soloists David Hollingum and Clare Worth blended their tones beautifully. The brilliant final movement was taken – successfully – at a challenging pace.
The choir then entertained us a cappella with James Helme Sutcliffe’s modern (1988) arrangement of ‘Sleep, sleep little boy’, a gentle piece with exquisite harmonies.
Haydn’s ‘Nelson’ Mass began with a stirring Kyrie, featuring Nardus Williams’s liquid tones with strong support from the brass and the choir and excellent dramatic contrasts. In the Gloria all four soloists combined well. Qui Tollis was contemplative, with nice interplay between the baritone and soprano and the choir. Throughout, there was a strong sense of musical direction from Mike Wood, with deft handling of changes in tempo.
Burgess Hill Choral Society’s next concert at St Andrew’s Church on 21 April 2018 will feature a performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah. We’re looking forward to it.
Richard Light and Jacky Hilary
December 2017
George Frideric Handel
Spring Concert – 1st April 2017
HATS OFF TO BURGESS HILL CHORAL SOCIETY
St Andrew’s Church was packed for the performance of Handel’s “Messiah” by the Burgess Hill Choral Society on Saturday April 1st 2017. Accompanied by the Burgess Hill Concert Orchestra (leader Richard Sutcliffe) and with four fine young soloists from the Royal College of Music it proved an evening to remember.
Under the dynamic baton of conductor Michael Stefan Wood BEM the performance was taken at a cracking pace right from the start with the Orchestra on top form in the opening Sinfonia. Tenor Stephen Mills created a most atmospheric realisation of “Comfort Ye my people” and his singing throughout the evening was resonant and expressive. The opening chorus “And the Glory of the Lord” was a sign of the fine things to come from the Choral Society being sung with great rhythmic vitality and good precision in articulation and text. The bass Kieran Rayner made a big impact with his first recit., followed by a most expressive performance of “But who may Abide?” from mezzo soprano Kamilla Dunstan. The Choir responded with some excellent work in the famous choruses “And He Shall Purify” and “Unto Us a Child is Born” and the balance with the orchestra was very well managed by Maestro Wood throughout the evening. The first appearance of soprano Louise Fuller as the shepherds approached Bethlehem was suitably dramatic, making good use of her vibrant tone and operatic experience to convey the famous story. Particularly impressive was the ending of the first half with three demanding choruses in a row – “Surely” followed by “And with His Stripes” into “All We Like Sheep”. The Choir kept up their energy and discipline here and the fugal voicing was excellent, and the shaping and colouring that they achieved is of great credit to the vision and expertise of their inspirational conductor.
After some refreshment the second half of the evening continued in a similar vein, sustaining the rhythmic buoyancy and expressive communication that had been established right from the beginning. Soloists were again in fine voice and the dark power and drama that the bass Kieran Rayner achieved in both his famous arias was most impressive, accompanied in “The Trumpet Shall Sound” with fine playing from 1st trumpet Andy Baxter. The Hallelujah Chorus was suitably uplifting and hats off to the Choral Society for maintaining their discipline and energy right to the end, drawing a standing ovation from the captivated audience.
So a splendid 70th birthday concert from Burgess Hill Choral which must be one of the finest they have given. I look forward to their Christmas concert on December 9th featuring Haydn’s “Nelson Mass” alongside carols for Choir and Audience – and if that’s too long to wait, why not join them in St Andrew’s Church for a Come-and-Sing day of Mozart’s Requiem on Saturday 20th May led by Mike Wood.
Richard Haslam
HATS OFF TO BURGESS HILL CHORAL SOCIETY
St Andrew’s Church was packed for the performance of Handel’s “Messiah” by the Burgess Hill Choral Society on Saturday April 1st 2017. Accompanied by the Burgess Hill Concert Orchestra (leader Richard Sutcliffe) and with four fine young soloists from the Royal College of Music it proved an evening to remember.
Under the dynamic baton of conductor Michael Stefan Wood BEM the performance was taken at a cracking pace right from the start with the Orchestra on top form in the opening Sinfonia. Tenor Stephen Mills created a most atmospheric realisation of “Comfort Ye my people” and his singing throughout the evening was resonant and expressive. The opening chorus “And the Glory of the Lord” was a sign of the fine things to come from the Choral Society being sung with great rhythmic vitality and good precision in articulation and text. The bass Kieran Rayner made a big impact with his first recit., followed by a most expressive performance of “But who may Abide?” from mezzo soprano Kamilla Dunstan. The Choir responded with some excellent work in the famous choruses “And He Shall Purify” and “Unto Us a Child is Born” and the balance with the orchestra was very well managed by Maestro Wood throughout the evening. The first appearance of soprano Louise Fuller as the shepherds approached Bethlehem was suitably dramatic, making good use of her vibrant tone and operatic experience to convey the famous story. Particularly impressive was the ending of the first half with three demanding choruses in a row – “Surely” followed by “And with His Stripes” into “All We Like Sheep”. The Choir kept up their energy and discipline here and the fugal voicing was excellent, and the shaping and colouring that they achieved is of great credit to the vision and expertise of their inspirational conductor.
After some refreshment the second half of the evening continued in a similar vein, sustaining the rhythmic buoyancy and expressive communication that had been established right from the beginning. Soloists were again in fine voice and the dark power and drama that the bass Kieran Rayner achieved in both his famous arias was most impressive, accompanied in “The Trumpet Shall Sound” with fine playing from 1st trumpet Andy Baxter. The Hallelujah Chorus was suitably uplifting and hats off to the Choral Society for maintaining their discipline and energy right to the end, drawing a standing ovation from the captivated audience.
So a splendid 70th birthday concert from Burgess Hill Choral which must be one of the finest they have given. I look forward to their Christmas concert on December 9th featuring Haydn’s “Nelson Mass” alongside carols for Choir and Audience – and if that’s too long to wait, why not join them in St Andrew’s Church for a Come-and-Sing day of Mozart’s Requiem on Saturday 20th May led by Mike Wood.
Richard Haslam
Burgess Hill Choral Society Christmas Concert – 10th December 2016
Burgess Hill Choral Society and its companion Concert Orchestra gave a large and expectant audience a real treat with its pre-Christmas jamboree in St Andrew’s Church on Saturday December 10th.
A very varied and exciting programme began with the first of four congregational carols, sung with vigour and gusto, the choir popping their descant on top, leading to the Willcocks arrangement of Tomorrow shall be my Dancing Day which featured the excellent baritone Daniel de Souza, then a modern carol by Nick Nye and Simon Austin which took a humorous swipe at Isaiah 11.
These were an hors-d’oeuvre to Mozart’s beautifully succinct Coronation Mass whose relative brevity still gave the choir rich pickings in lovely choral writing, their evident enjoyment clearly conveyed to the audience. Mozart gives the four soloists more ensembles than solos, and pairing soprano Josephine Goddard’s fluent, lyrical singing with Lauren Morris’s rich and mellow alto, Benjamin Durrant’s full tenor line with Daniel’s pure baritone, then all in full ensemble, were a joy to hear.
Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite started the second half and the brass warmed up beautifully in the March and the strings set the audience swinging with their Waltz of the Flowers after that magical harp cadenza caught us all spell-bound.
Further delights were in store. Rocking was beautifully sung by Josephine over a nifty arrangement for humming choir and strings, followed by the evening’s challenge piece: Rutter’s Gloria. With the ghost of Walton hovering above the very dramatic brass and percussion opening, the choir launched into the Gloria with energy and purpose. Their clear diction and commendably maintained rhythmic drive were testament to the excellent work in preparation and execution by their maestro conductor, Mike Wood, whose precise and authoritative direction spurred them on. The lyrical contrast of Josephine and Lauren’s duet in the Miserere section was then shattered by some of the more difficult passages in the Quoniam, which the choir ably negotiated, leading to a harking back to the character of the opening which appropriately rounded the work off in style.
This was a thoroughly diverse and enjoyable evening which also raised funds for St Peter & St James Hospice.
Simon Austin, December 2016
Burgess Hill Choral Society and its companion Concert Orchestra gave a large and expectant audience a real treat with its pre-Christmas jamboree in St Andrew’s Church on Saturday December 10th.
A very varied and exciting programme began with the first of four congregational carols, sung with vigour and gusto, the choir popping their descant on top, leading to the Willcocks arrangement of Tomorrow shall be my Dancing Day which featured the excellent baritone Daniel de Souza, then a modern carol by Nick Nye and Simon Austin which took a humorous swipe at Isaiah 11.
These were an hors-d’oeuvre to Mozart’s beautifully succinct Coronation Mass whose relative brevity still gave the choir rich pickings in lovely choral writing, their evident enjoyment clearly conveyed to the audience. Mozart gives the four soloists more ensembles than solos, and pairing soprano Josephine Goddard’s fluent, lyrical singing with Lauren Morris’s rich and mellow alto, Benjamin Durrant’s full tenor line with Daniel’s pure baritone, then all in full ensemble, were a joy to hear.
Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite started the second half and the brass warmed up beautifully in the March and the strings set the audience swinging with their Waltz of the Flowers after that magical harp cadenza caught us all spell-bound.
Further delights were in store. Rocking was beautifully sung by Josephine over a nifty arrangement for humming choir and strings, followed by the evening’s challenge piece: Rutter’s Gloria. With the ghost of Walton hovering above the very dramatic brass and percussion opening, the choir launched into the Gloria with energy and purpose. Their clear diction and commendably maintained rhythmic drive were testament to the excellent work in preparation and execution by their maestro conductor, Mike Wood, whose precise and authoritative direction spurred them on. The lyrical contrast of Josephine and Lauren’s duet in the Miserere section was then shattered by some of the more difficult passages in the Quoniam, which the choir ably negotiated, leading to a harking back to the character of the opening which appropriately rounded the work off in style.
This was a thoroughly diverse and enjoyable evening which also raised funds for St Peter & St James Hospice.
Simon Austin, December 2016