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Somerset County Gazette, August 1998 |
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DESERVED REPUTATION FOR EXCELLENCE |
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A summer Saturday
evening; the venue - Wells Cathedral; the music - Handel's "Messiah", performed by Somerset Chamber Choir with London
Baroque - a guaranteed full house, given the choir's reputation - and so it proved. The audience was treated to an excellent,
thought-provoking performance of
After initial untidiness at
the beginning of some movements, London Baroque, an orchestra of 24 players using period instruments at "baroque" pitch,
played with great skill and considerable sensitivity. All too frequently performances of 'Messiah' lose momentum through long gaps
between movements, but on this occasion, the orchestra responded enthusiastically to the conductor's intentions, keeping the music
moving at a brisk pace, with admirable continuity.
The tenor soloist,
James Oxley, immediately captivated the listeners with elegant, poised singing in "Comfort ye, my people", setting the
standard for the rest of the performance. The counter-tenor Mark J. Chambers demonstrated great fluency, his voice being particularly
effective in the higher ranges, but he lacked power lower down and was sometimes inaudible against some gentle orchestral
accompaniment. His performance of "He was despised" demonstrated an original approach, but one feels that a female singer is
generally more
Simon Kirkbride (baritone),
displaying admirable technical skill in "Why do the nations", lacked sufficient weight of tone for the solos in part one. Nevertheless he gave a fine performance of "The Trumpet shall sound" in tandem with
the solo trumpeter Jonathan Impett.
The huge interior space of
Wells Cathedral sometimes poses difficulties for soloists who lack carrying power. This was certainly no problem for the soprano Sarah
Fox, who filled the building with a beautiful sound in a brilliantly executed performance of "Rejoice greatly". Winner of
the 1997 Kathleen Ferrier Awards Competition, yet still a student at the Royal College of Music, one foresees that she will be in
great demand in the future.
Graham Caldbeck's
meticulous choir-training was clearly evident in the Somerset Chamber Choir's approach to the choruses. They were able to respond with
alacrity to his demands for brisk tempi and clear diction. Only rarely (from ten rows back) was one unable to hear the individual
parts clearly, though it may have been a different matter at the West End. Given the size of the building and its acoustic properties,
some choruses, for example "All we like sheep" and "His yoke is easy" would have benefited from a slightly slower
tempo, without losing momentum. Similarly "He trusted in God" would have carried more venom if given a little extra breadth. Nevertheless one was impressed with the choir's commitment, accuracy and ensemble, as they
brought
Somerset Chamber Choir has a
deserved reputation for excellence, built on its continuing policy of attracting young singers from all over the county. It also has a
wide following of friends and patrons, which, judging by the size of the audience at Wells, will continue to flourish. Congratulations
to all concerned for a memorable evening.
Stephen Bell |