Carmina Burana
Including Carnival of the Animals
11th March 2012 in the Assembly Hall
Conducted by Adrian Pitts with
with
Alan Fairs – Baritone
Nicola-Jane Kemp – Soprano
Richard Reaville – Tenor
Accompanied by Anthony Zerpa-Falcon and Jong-Gyung Park
on two Steingraeber Phoenix Pianos, plus percussion.
No review available - Click image to view programme
Christmas Concert
11th December in St Mary's Parish Church, Goudhurst
Conducted by Roland Millar
with
Debbie Millar (soprano)
Ian Shaw (organ & piano)
The Wadhurst Brass Band
Roland Millar commented: "I was certainly very happy with the concert and felt that everyone did themselves justice, working hard to produce a series of performances which were alert, communicative and exciting".
Click image to view programme
Mendelssohn's Elijah
12th November 2011 in the Assembly Hall
This performance took place, unusually for the Choral Society, on a Saturday evening.
Mendelssohn's magnificent Elijah was directed by Malcolm Riley - a guest conductor engaged for the occasion. The soloists were:
Jonathan Gunthorpe – baritone (Elijah)
Michael Bracegirdle – tenor
Juliette Pochin – mezzo soprano
Sally Harrison – soprano
Ben Underhill - boy soprano
They were accompanied by the RTWCS Orchestra under their leader, Jane Gomm.
The society was joined by the Choir of the Tunbridge Wells Grammer School for Girls (TWGGS) who delighted us with an appropriately angelic chorus.
Unfortunately a reviewer was not available for this event.
Click on poster image to view full programme (in pdf format - opens in new window).
Rutter Requiem
Mendelssohn's Hear My Prayer and other works
25th June 2011 in St John's Church
A Memorial Concert to Remember
View addendum to programme with biography of Guest Conductors.
Richard Gosling, a highly respected member of the Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society, died in 2010 and the family held a Requiem Mass for him then. However, his sister lives in Australia and she and her family could not attend because of the Icelandic ash cloud, so his family sponsored a memorial concert by the Society a year later in the splendid setting of St John’s Church. A good audience attended.
The programme was carefully chosen to reflect the occasion. It included John Rutter’s Requiem and several smaller pieces, including In My Father’s House, composed by Antony Pitts specifically for Richard’s requiem mass. For Mendelssohn’s Hear My Prayer and several other pieces they were joined by girls from the Cantemos Choir of the Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School (TWGGS).
The concert opened with Henry Balfour Gardiner’s Evening Hymn – a powerful start, with its rich harmonies and the difficult unaccompanied middle section. All was admirably performed by the Choral Society under the baton of Graham Caldbeck. .Graham had been drafted in at the last moment, but there were no signs of uncertainty in the performance.
Antony Pitts then took over to conduct his own composition – In My Father’s House. It is a demanding modern piece, building up from a moderate start to a climax with sopranos repeating whole-tone scales over a complex contrapuntal mixture of other parts (bringing to mind medieval polyphony). Mr Pitts brought vigour and precision to the performance through his conducting.
Three anthems by Elgar followed. The much loved Ave Verum Corpus, with the soprano line singing on its own, answered by the whole choir; Ave Maria, with its closer harmonic writing and the more extravert Ecce Sacerdos Magnus, reminiscent of Elgar’s marches.
The next piece – Regret Not Me – by Henry Handel Richardson (actually the pen name of a woman!) was sung movingly by the girls of TWGGS and conducted by Sue Waddington, Director of Music at TWGGS. The clear young voices sang the moving words of Hardy’s poem accompanied by a piano. It was an effective contrast to the rest of the concert.
Then on to the familiar ground of Mendelssohn’s Hear My Prayer. The TWGGS girls took turns to sing the treble solos and they all sang the troubled middle section (‘the enemy shouteth ...’) in alternation with the Choral Society, giving a powerful antiphonal effect, before the pure bliss of ‘O for the Wings of a Dove’.
The second half of the programme was the Requiem by John Rutter. Although under thirty years old, this has become a favourite of many choral societies, including this one. The memorable tunes and the contrasts in texture and mood between the sections, building up from the sombre introduction to the climax in the Sanctus and then subsiding to the quiet ending of the Lux Aeterna has made it deservedly popular. It was accompanied by a small instrumental consort, which accomplished the many difficult passages faultlessly.
The opening, Requiem Aeternam, moved from the ominous start into a more optimistic and tuneful second section. Then Out of the Deep (a setting of Psalm 130), had a plainsong-like unison line against a solo cello. For Pie Jesu, the girls from TWGGS returned to sing the solo line. In Sanctus, the chiming bell-sounds accompanied the joyful singing, maintained at a good tempo by Mr Caldbeck. By contrast, the Agnus Dei (which incorporates words from the burial service) was deeply sad until the peaceful final section (‘I am the resurrection and the life ..’). Then, calm was restored with a beautiful rendition of the 23rd Psalm, with a wonderful accompaniment of oboe and harp. Finally, Lux Aeterna brought back the girls from TWGGS together with the choir for a superb quiet ending.
All in all, it was a splendid evening of music, made all the more moving by the background of the memorial to Richard Gosling.
In a short address after the concert Richard’s sister Dr Meg Probyn said:
"The family has had enormous pleasure in attending the concert. I know that Richard would have thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact it almost feels as if he has been present here."
© Quentin Rappoport
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Dvořák Stabat Mater
Assembly Hall - 11th April 2011
Largo from New World Symphony and Stabat Mater
We offer two reviews - one by Christopher Harris and another by Helen MacNab (previously General Secretary and Chairman of RTWCS).
The weather outside was unseasonably warm. The temperature inside the Assembly Hall Theatre was even warmer. The audience had gathered to hear two works by Antonin Dvořák, the famous Largo from his New World Symphony and the substantial Stabat Mater for chorus and orchestra.
Whichever work Richard Jenkinson, the conductor, had placed first was always going be a challenge for the orchestra since both start with exposed textures requiring good, clean ensemble playing. Quite reasonably it was the Largo which was played first with its resounding opening brass chords and famous cor anglais theme forever in my mind recalling a television advertisement for Hovis bread! The strings, led by Jane Gomm, produced some luscious sounds in their quiet accompanying passages despite there being a slightly reduced number of players throughout the section.The middle section of the Largo moved on with urgency before the main theme re-emerged together with those imposing and harmonically interesting brass chords. Some of the woodwind playing both in this movement and in the Stabat Mater was a little tentative but rehearsal time on these occasions is always very limited.
During the morning rehearsals there had been several technical and staging problems for the conductor to deal with and I was disappointed that in the afternoon so many latecomers were allowed to take their seats during the performance of the opening of the Largo. It is such a beautiful movement that it requires stillness from the audience, not to mention respect for the concentration of the players. In Bayreuth a late arrival means that a seat cannot be taken until an interval – this can be difficult with the works of Wagner!
The Stabat Mater consists of ten separate movements setting the text of a religious poem whose theme is the sorrow of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. It could so easily have become a depressing piece of music particularly as part way through its composition Dvořák lost his own daughter. Yet the comments heard from people who attended the concert invariably referred to the lyrical nature of the music as if beyond the suffering and anguish there is hope. Indeed the music starts solemnly with repeated F sharps suggesting the key of F sharp minor but by the time we reach the tenth and final movement the music not only recapitulates that opening but also moves towards the key centre of D major to create that feeling of “something better”.
The conductor controlled the moods and internal speed changes of the ten movements carefully shaping the tempi to reflect the meaning of the words. He also harnassed his forces to great effect in the third cortege-like movement, Eja mater, and the lilting fifth movement, Tui nati vulnerati. The chorus articulated their parts clearly though sometimes the release of phrases was less than precise where a final word ended with an "s" sound. The sound of the chorus was slightly enhanced of necessity by discrete amplification given the nature of the acoustic in the theatre. Interestingly the effect varied immensely in different parts of the hall being more effective in the circle rather than downstairs where most of the audience were seated. Despite the heaviness of some of Dvořák’s orchestration in the more excitable sections the chorus was never drowned out and managed to rise above the orchestral tuttis. Anyone who has sung his Te Deum setting will know that competing with Dvořák’s orchestra can be a problem! Having said that there were a few occasions when it felt as if the altos and basses could have produced more volume and resonance in their voices.
Of the soloists Erica Eloff, soprano, was especially effective being able to soar over both choir and orchestra with ease. Her covered high notes were especially impressive. Helen Sherman, alto, sang her Inflammatus movement to great effect and blended well in the ensemble items. Tyler Clarke was a late substitute for the indisposed Nathan Vale. His voice seemed to be on a slightly smaller scale than the other soloists. In the louder sections of the sixth movement where he sang with choir and orchestra it was sometimes difficult to hear his line. The quieter sections though were beautiful. Hakan Vramsmo, the Swedish bass, has a rich and powerful voice; it is no surprise that he has sung Schubert’s Winterreise.
It was good to see Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society tackling a work which had last been sung in Tunbridge Wells in May 1906 just the second concert that the choir had performed since its formation. Maybe the work with its somewhat penitential nature is not a great crowd puller- the audience was somewhat modest in size – but the Society need to be congratulated for presenting this work to us. It deserves to be heard more often.
© Christopher Harris
As a singing member of the Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society anything I may write is bound to have an element of bias. I would much rather be up on stage singing with the sopranos, but a nasty bug has attacked me during the week and removed my singing voice – temporarily I hope.
This concert of music by Dvořák opened with the slow movement from his Symphony from the New World. I shall probably be put down as a musical elitist but I find picking out an individual movement from a symphony uncomfortable. My brain keeps wondering ‘Where’s the rest of it?’ Having said that, the Largo is a very attractive and popular piece with a somewhat melancholy air. On this occasion it felt a bit too slow – Molto Largo rather than just Largo. It was certainly testing for the wind instruments which have a prominent part in this work, as they do in the choral work, STABAT MATER, that followed.
And what a choral work! And what a performance! As far as I was concerned the only advantage of not being able to sing was that I could sit in the audience and listen to a live performance of this rarely heard piece. The RTWCS has not performed it since 1906. This must be in part because it is suitable for singing on only a very few days in the year. Strictly speaking, in view of its subject, it should be sung only on Good Friday. Even those not particularly religious and interested solely in the music, might consider it inappropriate for a date outside Lent. It is a beautiful work, rhythmic and melodic, and there are some glorious combinations of chorus, soloists and orchestra.
The chorus’s hard work of the last weeks paid dividends. They sounded terrific. In this work the altos have an interesting and melodic line, instead of getting all the boring bits, and they took full advantage of their opportunity. The tenors have many important leads, especially in the first movement, and all the men excelled themselves in their movement with the solo tenor. The sopranos, so often the butt of jokes, justified or not, sang their hearts out, producing in the appropriate places a very sweet and tender tone. The movements in which soloists and chorus combine are much harder to bring off than it may appear. This is because of the unavoidable distance between them and the fact that the choir can properly hear very little of what is going on at the front. This is where the conductor comes in specially handy ! Richard Jenkinson, the society’s Musical Director, is to be congratulated on producing a great result throughout this relatively unknown piece.
The four young and gifted soloists were a bonus. Håkan Vramso, has a lovely deep baritone voice which will no doubt increase in power as his career continues. Tyler Clarke, tenor, who was a last minute substitute because of illness, gave a very creditable performance in a daunting situation. Helen Sherman, mezzo soprano, has a warm alto voice, her diction is good and she sang with feeling. These soloists, alone or in combination, came over very well most of the time, though there were a few occasions when they were overpowered by the orchestra – Dvořák’s fault in the orchestration or were the brass a decibel too loud ? The palm for the soloists must go to soprano Erica Eloff. She has a glorious voice, true and strong, controlled and carefully graduated from pianissimo to the most powerful forte. Even in the last Amen, with everyone and everything joining in, her last F# could be heard shining out through the chord. We wish all these young singers the very best of fortune in their future careers.
Our orchestra, most ably led, as always, by Jane Gomm, demonstrated their quality. There were prominent parts for the woodwind and the horns, and the strings gave us some fine disciplined playing.
The Lullaby movement ‘Tui nati vulnerati’, amongst others, is still ringing in my head. Let us hope that we don’t have to wait another 95 years before we hear it again in Tunbridge Wells.
© Helen MacNab
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Christmas Concert
12th December 2010
St Mary's Church, Goudhurst
JS Bach Christmas Oratorio (part)
Karl Jenkins - A Ceremony of Christmas
Choir carols included:
Head The little road to Bethlehem, Joubert - There is no rose of such virtue
A Somerset Carol (Traditional),
Joy to the World (arr. W. Llewellyn.)
RTWCS Choir & with the Mayfield Band
No review available - click on image to view detailed programme.
Autumn Concert
13thNovember 2010 - in St John's Church
Benjamin Britten - St Nicolas and Simple Symphony
Handel - Zadok the Priest,
Bach - Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring
Merrill & Styne - Don’t Rain On My Parade
Chilcott - Irish Blessing, Mozart - Ave Verum
RTWCS Choir & Orchestra with the Choir of Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School. Click on image to view programme.
MUSIC TO SAVOUR
From Handel to Britten, calling in on Bach, Mozart and somewhat lesser luminaries on the way, is a subtle device for ensuring as wide a programme appeal as a provincial town like Tunbridge Wells can provide - and the town's Choral Society did this as well as anybody could on Saturday evening in St. John's Church.
The venue itself was almost tailor-made for the occasion. Benjamin Britten's Saint Nicolas is quite uncompromising in its demand that a semi-chorus be located in a gallery - and that is precisely what St. John's is able to provide. The wide space at the front of the building accommodated close on 100 singers, though the distance between the extreme wings of the phalanx meant that entries, particularly from the sopranos, were on occasions not unanimous. The twenty-or-so members of the orchestra, strategically-placed in front of the choir, provided sterling support throughout the evening's music. They were a particular joy in Britten's light (for him) but attractive Simple Symphony, maintaining a vigorous pulse throughout the piece, without sacrificing tonal sensitivity; the pizzicato passages were especially effective. The violas sang seductively, while the cellos and double bass provided the unobtrusive but firm foundation on which the other strings were able to build.
Handel's Zadok the Priest is not often presented as an opening sweetener; it was sung with a verve and passion not always demonstrated by refined, smaller groups - and it was all the more enjoyable for that. What can be said about Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, one of Bach's most wearisome efforts? It was negotiated competently, but with no discernible impact on the hearers - or even the performers.
It was an inspiration to provide a platform for young singers; the members of Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School and Skinners School Choirs, under the energetic baton of Sue Waddington, intruded some 20th century music into the programme. Their words were not always clear, and there could with advantage have been wider dynamic light and shade; but their singing provided a welcome variation to the full-throated contributions of the adult Choral Society.
“Anthony Zerpa-Falcon and Jessica Zhu exhibited quite breath-taking technique” And then we came to Benjamin Britten's Saint Nicolas - or rather, it came to us, full face on. Jane Gomm's violin solo instantly caught and held our attention, and was only further high-lighted by the sometimes over-hearty explosions of music from the tutti. For a pp marking, the choir's first entry was remarkably robust; but it served to brace us for the veritable onslaught of sound that recurred regularly, and with huge dramatic effect, throughout the cantata. The Society was splendidly served by the soloists, and the audience were fortunate indeed to be treated to the magnificent voice of Jon English in the title role; his dynamic range was truly impressive, and had us on the edge of our seats every time the tenor lead was featured. He displayed much more than mere technical competence, breathtaking though that was; sensitivity, conviction, commitment to the character he was portraying - all were demonstrated with patent sincerity, and swept his hearers along to believe in him - and with him. The 12-year-old James Tweedy, in the role of the Saint as a young boy, was the very epitome of what is expected of a pure-voiced treble, though his first 'God be glorified' wobbled slightly pitch-wise; however, this was corrected subsequently. Natasha Smith, Beth Wright and Eleanor Van Der Zanden, made a convincing trio of 'pickled boys', looking the part, as well as sounding it, as they moved slowly up the church - a nice touch to symbolise their return to life. Anthony Zerpa-Falcon and Jessica Zhu (pianos ) exhibited quite breath-taking technique - fully up to the standard on the 1970's EMI recording of the work in your reviewer's opinion. It was a major disappointment that the church's fine organ could not be utilised because of pitch incompatibility; but that did not inhibit the incomparable Christopher Harris from producing music by turns alluring and thrilling from the poor substitute available to him.
“ a memorable experience of very high-quality live music-making ” The Society is extremely fortunate in Richard Jenkinson, its conductor. He took the forces under his command with consummate skill through dauntingly difficult intervals and seriously challenging time values to such good effect, that the audience were only too willing to respond to his artless but skilful leading of us in the two congregational pieces ordained by Britten for us to participate in, sending us home with real satisfaction at having been part of a memorable experience of very high-quality live music-making.
© David Gurney
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Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle
"Summer Sing"
St John's Church
3rd July 2010
No review available - Click on image to view programme.
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Beethoven Spectacular
Sunday 18th April 2010
Coriolanus Overture
Choral Fantasia
Mass in C Major
Here’s a contentious thesis: good music-making is democracy in action. Discuss. What I mean is that, done properly, a performance should be a conversation in which all the participants have an equally important voice. Of course some have more to say, and some say it louder. But without all the voices, the conversation is incomplete.
OK, maybe I’m stretching the analogy a little, but my point was amply made last Sunday by performances of three Beethoven masterpieces by the Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society and its orchestra, conducted by Richard Jenkinson. Time and again the vital importance of listening to one another – as well, of course, of watching the conductor – was amply demonstrated. This was music-making of the highest order, and from the commanding first gestures of the Coriolan overture it was evident that every member of the orchestra was not only fully up to the task playing Beethoven’s sometimes fiendishly difficult notes, but also knew what role he or she had to play in that magnificent tragedy. There was a real urgency in the string figures which open and permeate the whole piece, and if there was occasional roughness in the ensemble this can be attributed to exuberant enthusiasm, rather than carelessness.
"a blazing contribution from the magnificent massed forces of the RTWCS"The Choral Fantasia is a curious piece which betrays its hurried genesis, and this in turn passes on particular problems to the performers. The solo piano part was originally improvised by Beethoven and not written down until later. Any performance therefore needs to have an improvisatory feel, as if inspiration for each note is seizing the performer at the moment of playing them. On the other hand, the structure of the work is so loose and episodic, it can, in the wrong hands, appear to wander aimlessly. The challenge for the pianist, the conductor and all the performers is to find a way of doing it that finds a balance between improvisation and drive. In my view, this was perfectly achieved on Sunday, and Anthony Zerpa-Falcon must take much of the credit for this. Not only was he well able to cope with all the demands that Beethoven made upon him, but he was remarkably sensitive to all that was going on around him. He had, in my view, a true conversation with the orchestra that gave his performance the intimacy of chamber music as well as the grandeur of the symphony – the perfect combination. But a conversation is a two (or more) -way experience and the members of orchestra who carried on such witty dialogues with Mr Zerpa-Falcon are to be congratulated as well as he. Of course the Choral Fantasia is known and loved mainly for the extraordinary intervention of six soloists and chorus which rounds off the work. The soloists were all superb, in spite a slightly uncertain start, and heralded a blazing contribution from the magnificent massed forces of the RTWCS.
Beethoven had a deep Christian faith but also a profound faith in humanity and this shines through in all his work, including his sacred music. The Mass in C, now forever in the shadow of its wilder younger sibling the Missa Solemnis, is nonetheless a deeply-felt work that came from the composer’s heart. Here again we saw all the forces, chorus, orchestra and soloists making their own vital contribution to a magnificent whole, and fully alive to the text of the mass. Beethoven responds to every twist and turn of the drama: am I alone in hearing an echo of the Fidelio dungeon scene at the words “He suffered and was buried”? All four soloists Sarah Redgwick (soprano), Katherine Allen (mezzo), Sean Clayton (tenor) and Samuel Evans (baritone) made light of their frequently taxing lines and blended well with each other and with the various soloists within the orchestra. The solo cello in the Benedictus, for example, was most beautifully played, as were the many woodwind contributions throughout the mass, and went straight to the heart of this listener.
To complete the ‘conversation’ analogy, when a lot of people have something to say, you need a good chairman. If ‘chairman’ appears to demean the role of Richard Jenkinson, I mean it as the highest praise. In fact, I would go further and say that humility – humility to Beethoven’s music – was the guiding principle of Mr Jenkinson’s performance. Some conductors appear to regard the music as a conduit for demonstrating their own genius. With Mr Jenkinson it was the reverse – he became a conduit for projecting the genius of the music and that, in my view, is what it is all about.
©John Marshall
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Carol Concert at Goudhurst
Sunday 13th December 2009
Choral & Instrumental Music including:
Buxtehude Little Newborn Jesus Child
Vaughan Williams Fantasia on Christmas Carols
No Review Available - click on image to view Programme
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Remembrance Sunday Concert
Purcell Te Deum, Jubilate & Funeral Sentences
Karl Jenkins' Armed Man
Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells, 8th November 2009
The Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society put on a concert of music much of which was most appropriate for Remembrance Sunday, 8th November at the Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells. The first half of the programme was devoted to music by Henry Purcell comprising the Te Deum and Jubilate settings in D major and the Funeral Sentences with March and Canzona; the second half was a most moving account of Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man: a Mass for Peace.
Like Mozart, Purcell was a great composer whose life was cut short in his mid-thirties but who managed to write a huge amount of music of the highest quality in a wide variety of genres. Much of Purcell’s choral music was written for the choristers at the Chapel Royal.In the excellent programme notes for the Purcell pieces (by William Gould & Ivor Keys) we are told that the Te Deum and Jubilate were originally intended for the opening of St Paul’s Cathedral. Fortunately for us Purcell composed them well in advance as the cathedral was not completed until 15 years after his death.
In the Te Deum we heard the 3 soloists – Kristin Finnigan mezzo soprano, John McMunn tenor and Peter Braithwaite baritone - in various combinations singing the more lyrical and reflective sections interspersed amongst the more robust choral sections. Each of the soloists has an impressive curriculum vitae and sang magnificently but the balance was occasionally spoiled because the tenor was overpowering in several sections. This is a minor quibble and imbalances can happen very easily when soloists are brought together probably for the first time on the day of the concert.
The Jubilate has a much shorter text. It is introduced in regal fashion by the organ and principal trumpeter and the first lines are given to the soprano soloist. Thereafter the chorus takes over and the quality of the singing was fresh and decisive; much more so than in the Te Deum where the singing, especially of the sopranos, was often quite hesitant.
Richard Jenkinson had brought together some extremely talented musicians whose contribution throughout the entire concert was unfailingly brilliant. Organist Christopher Harris took on the lion’s share of the accompaniment throughout the programme. Although an electronic instrument, the sound was remarkably convincing due in no small part to Christopher’s masterly choice of registration and unwavering technique. He was very ably joined by 3 trumpeters (Edward Maxwell, Richard Hammond and Richard Thomas), a huge array of percussion (John Rockliffe, Chris Nall and Donna-Marie Landowski), Anna Stokes on flute and piccolo, Nigel Bromley on cello and Anthony Zerpa-Falcon (the society’s regular accompanist) on piano.
The instrumental sections of the Funeral Sentences were played magnificently. The introduction to the Funeral Sentences is a slow March played by the organ, brass and drums which very much sets the mood and is repeated at the end. The Canzona is played towards the end of the work just before the unaccompanied choir sings “Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts” – a setting that is sometimes sung as a separate anthem in church services and is probably the best known part of this work. The tenors and basses produced some nice sounds especially early on but the sopranos were hesitant and unsure of whether thirds were major or minor – especially so in one of the chromatic sequences. In mitigation, this is difficult music for the voices and clearly rehearsal time had been geared towards learning the large score of Jenkins Mass.
"The effect was heightened by the simultaneous film sequences that were projected onto a screen above the choir" After the interval, the choir re-established its confidence and, I have to say, gave a most moving account of The Armed Man: a Mass for Peace by Karl Jenkins. The effect was heightened by the simultaneous film sequences that were projected onto a screen above the choir, reflecting the mood of each of 13 sections.
Again the excellent programme notes were very informative – this work is the latest in a six century old tradition of “Armed Man” masses which take, as their common starting point the 15th century French song L’Homme Arme. Jenkins wrote it as the conflict in Kosovo was unfolding and dedicated it to the victims there. This is writing on a large scale with texts taken not only from the Ordinary of the Mass (Kyrie, Sanctus, Agnus Dei and Benedictus) but also from the Psalms (56 & 59 in Save me from the bloody men), the Koran and by such authors as Kipling, Dryden, Swift and Tennyson.
The opening Armed man chorus starts with drum and piccolo. The upper voices then make their entrance followed by the men, then the trumpets, then the organ and finally the piano. Quite a build up for such a short chorus. Then follows The call to prayer sung by a muezzin from the local Camden Rd Mosque – sung very well (although I am no expert here) but sounding disappointingly like a recording rather than a live performance.
As the music unfolded I was struck by the tremendous variety in textures, the seemingly limitless combinations of chorus, instrumentalists and soloists but mostly by the mix of musical styles, ranging from Palestrina right through to modern dance rhythms and all juxtaposed so strikingly. The Kyrie follows the traditional 9-fold pattern starts with a dark cello solo (with supporting organ). The chorus echo the words sung by the soprano soloist.
Save me from the bloody men is for unaccompanied chorus in unison ending with a rude awakening from the bass drum. The Sanctus will have been instantly recognisable to listeners of Classic FM where it is frequently played. The effect of the piano and percussion accompaniment against the chanting chorus is hypnotic and gradually rises to fortissimo.
Charge!, Angry flames and Torches are the most dramatic of all the movements, describing the devastating effects of the atomic bomb and people as “living torches”. The choir are bathed in red light, symbolic of all the blood shed. The film simultaneously shows footage of the A-bomb and the terrorist attack on and demolition of the twin towers in New York – horrific examples of the absolute tragedy of the needless loss of so many human souls.
The final four movements (starting with the Agnus Dei) deal with the aftermath of war from the grim job of sorting through the rubble to find the dying and the dead and finally the start of the rebuilding of lives, communities and infrastructure. The audience remained silent after the final unaccompanied chorus with text from the book of Revelation (“God shall wipe away all tears”). "We had all been through an emotional journey" We had all been through an emotional journey – singers, instrumentalists, soloists and audience. Finally the silence was broken by tumultuous applause in recognition of a truly remarkable performance from all the musicians.
The Armed Man brought out the best singing I have yet to hear from the RTW Choral Society and one can only imagine the sweat (and tears) that went into the many rehearsals beforehand to reach such a confidant and moving performance. Bravo Richard Jenkinson!
© Paul Jeffries
Click here to read a personal appreciation letter received from Johanna Thorpe.
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Concert of Choral Classics
Informal "Summer Sing"
St John's Church, Tunbridge Wells
13th June 2009
No review available - click on image to view programme.
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St John Passion
Assembly Hall - Tunbridge Wells
29th March 2009
When the Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society, under their conductor Richard Jenkinson, presented the "St John Passion", they were supported by a group of gifted local instrumentalists led by Jane Gomm and a team of outstanding, well-matched soloists.
The part of the Evangelist, on whom, the burden of the full narrative rests, was impressively sung by the Canadian tenor Daniel Auchinloss, while that of the Christus was beautifully delivered by the bass Paul Reeves, whose voice, warmly toned and resonant, filled the Assembly Hall without apparent effort.
Other crucial roles were taken by the countertenor, Jake Arditti, the tenor, Peter Davoren, the baritone Andrew Finden and an attractive newcomer, soprano Ellie Laugharne, who is currently studying with John Evans at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
To meet the devotional requirements of orthodox Lutherism the Passion oratorio, or 'sacred opera' as it has aptly been described, follows closely the text of a chosen gospel, but adds commentary from a chorus to illuminate the drama in various ways. The chorus moves the action forward at crucial points as, for example, the crowd's rejection of Christ in favour of Barrabas, or the legalistic taunting of Pontius Pilate who, I have long thought, is one of the real heroes of the Crucifixion drama.
Above all, there are the chorales which, in the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, are frequently to be found, set in extremely expressive four-part writing. Protestant counterpoint they may well be, as Sir Thomas Beecham once complained, but these tranquil and largely contemplative passages were very well-handled by Richard Jenkinson and his choir and added much to our enjoyment of their performance as a whole. As evidence of this, the great final chorale was followed by a prolonged and eloquent silence, no less moving than the performance that had gone on before.
© Robert Hardcastle
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Christmas Concert - St Barnabas
Tunbridge Wells
13th December 2008
No review available - click on image to view programme.
Note that the advertised tenor solist, Philip Borge, was indisposed, and George Clifford stood in for him. The organ solo was also omitted from the programme.
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Verdi Requiem
Massed Choirs of Tunbridge Wells and East Grinstead Choral Societies
Sunday 9th November 2008 in the Assembly Hall
The massed choirs of the Royal Tunbridge Wells and East Grinstead Choral Societies, appropriately dressed in black and wearing poppies, combined on Remembrance Sunday in a performance of Verdi's magnificent Requiem. The Assembly Hall setting in Tunbridge Wells was somewhat different to that of Milan Cathedral where the work was given its first performance in 1847 following the death of Italy's greatest poet, Alessandro Manzoni, a man greatly revered by Verdi.
The marvel of occasions such as this is that the whole performance is assembled in just one morning on the day of the concert when the orchestra and soloists rehearse with the choirs. Considering the length of the Requiem that is some achievement in itself!
The conductor, Richard Jenkinson, is to be congratulated on bringing together his different forces to produce a compelling and convincing performance. Particularly evident was the care that had clearly been taking in preparing the voices. In their unaccompanied sections (the Requiem aeternam from the Libera me) the pitch held up well as the choirs accompanied the solo soprano as she eventually sailed up to her top B flat - an exquisite moment in the Requiem. Similarly the voices had to be - and were - completely unanimous in the delivery of the declamatory words Libera me. “ the subterranean thumps of the massive Verdi drum helped to focus the mind ”
It was very evident that singers and instrumentalists were enjoying themselves (if enjoying is the right word) in the frequent appearances of the Dies irae, dies illa. The punctuating chords of the orchestra, the descending runs in the strings, the sharply contrasting dynamics and, above (or below) all, the subterranean thumps of the massive Verdi drum helped to focus the mind on the words Quantus futurus tremor est. Indeed this was the sort of sound that is felt - literally - as well as heard! You did not need to understand Latin to get the drift of this music!
The original performance consisted of a choir of 120 and an orchestra of 110. For this performance the odds were, numerically at least, much more in favour of the voices though there were times when the orchestra tended to play with great enthusiasm. None the less the appearance of the eight trumpets for the Tuba mirum, four in the orchestra and four in the balcony, was a dramatic moment. It was very difficult for the basses to project their sound forward into the auditorium given their position at the back of the stage and this tended to make the tenors, the smallest section of the choir but placed at the front, more prominent. It must be very difficult to deal with this given the layout of the hall, short of providing more amplification for targeted sections of the choir.
Of the soloists, particularly outstanding was Catherine King, mezzo soprano, whose voice was rich and full and covered a wide range. The soprano, Sandra Ford, came into her own in the second part of the mass. She floated effortlessly up to her symbolic top C for the words Libera me. Joseph Cornwell, tenor, was indisposed and was replaced by Andrew Mackenzie-Wicks who was at his most compelling in those sections where a lighter tone was required (Hostias) rather than in the full-bloodied climaxes that Verdi so often wrote for his operatic tenor heroes. Martin Robson, bass, drew out the contrasting emotions in movements such as the Confutatis while all four combined at different times to produce pleasing balanced ensembles.
The effectiveness of the performance, its communication of the words of the Requiem, could be judged by the prolonged and enthusiastic response of the large audience. Congratulations to all - orchestra, both choral societies, soloists and, of course, the conductor, whose hard work and endeavour produced such a memorable concert.
©Christopher Harris
View Preview with picture of the "Verdi Drum".
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"Summer Sing" at Vale Royal
Rutter's Feel the Spirit and
Schubert's Mass in G
Saturday 28th June 2008
With children from Herne County Junior School
(No review available - please click on image to view programme.)
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Mozart & Puccini
Mozart's Requiem and Puccini's Messa di Gloria
Assembly Hall - 27th April 2008
The Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society gave fine performances of two well-known and well-loved choral masterpieces last Sunday afternoon in the Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall.
The concert began with the Messa di Gloria, written by a youthful Puccini. Although the text comprises the usual sections of the Mass, this is a work which definitely belongs in the concert hall; it is rather too exuberant and operatic in style to be ever considered appropriate in a liturgical setting.
There are some really good tunes in the two extended sections, particularly in the Gloria where the rollicking opening theme recurs several times including the end. The 100-strong RTW Choral Society clearly enjoyed this music and did well to keep up with the driving tempi set by their director Richard Jenkinson. They really were on top form, projecting their voices well across the orchestral forces, only occasionally being drowned out by equally exuberant brass players!
There were plenty of lyrical moments too, not only from the choral society but also by the soloists. We heard the tenor, Michael Bracegirdle, first in the Gloria and it was clear from his first notes that here was a tenor par excellence; his projection, intonation and diction were faultless" I never fail to be impressed by Richard Jenkinson's skillful direction ". In the Credo that followed, the baritone soloist, Paul Carey Jones, showed that he also has a really fine voice. Some brief sections are written quite low in the register and that makes it difficult to be heard over even the quietest strings and woodwind. A moment of sheer magic was their brief duet in the closing Agnus Dei.
I never fail to be impressed by Richard Jenkinson's skillful direction. He brings out all the nuances of the score by paying meticulous attention to detail particularly the dynamics and by his wide choice of tempi. Sometimes the slow sections seem almost dangerously slow, but every note is exactly in place and he does not feel limited by the singers need to breathe. The orchestra relished the fast tempi which were truly exciting (verging on terrifying) and, for the most part, the singers were well able to keep up. Only later in the concert was I aware that the basses fell a little behind in two places but that could have been due to near exhaustion! But Richard always retains complete control.
In the second half of the programme we heard a moving account of Mozart's Requiem. The young Mozart died before completing this last commission and it was left to his friend Franz Sussmayer to weave Mozart's sketches and add his own material to produce the completed work we know today.
This is writing on a big scale and has some dramatic movements for the choir including the Dies Irae and the Rex Tremendae. Their singing sounded fresh and exciting with the sopranos and tenors really coming through the texture. They had clearly maintained their stamina despite their big sing in the Puccini earlier and doubtless a long rehearsal in the morning. In the Confutatis Maledictis the stark contrast between the men's agitation and the ladies' angelic interludes was controlled really well and in the contemplative movements, particularly the lovely Lacrimosa, all eyes of the choir were on Richard Jenkinson as he shaped each phrase to perfection.
The tenor and baritone soloists were joined by soprano Rebecca Ryan* and mezzo soprano Catherine King for the Requiem. As a group they have their own movements in the Tuba Mirum and Recordare and their blend and control was admirable.
Lastly I pay tribute to the superb playing of the orchestra which was always sensitive so that they supported the singers rather than competed with them as can so often happen.
It was good to see a near-capacity audience for this concert with quite a few youngsters enjoying the music-making. With concerts of this quality it is not hard to see why so many wanted to come and listen.
© Paul Jeffery
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* Note that Rebecca Ryan replaced Rachel Nicholls who was indisposed (see last page of programme)
Carol Concert - Goudhurst
16th December 2007
No review available - click on image to view programme.
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A celebration of the 100th birthday of Roy Douglas
Haydn's Creation
Assembly Hall - 18th November 2007
It is unlikely in the history of concert going that an audience has spanned such a wide age range as was the case on Sunday at the Assembly Hall. The Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society was honouring its president by performing the work of his choice, Haydn's Creation. Roy Douglas, well-loved local musician, famous for his work as amanuensis to at least two of the greatest British composers of the twentieth century (Vaughan Williams and Walton), not only attended the concert, which took place just two weeks before his hundredth birthday, but also graciously received a presentation from former conductor Derek Watmough and current conductor Richard Jenkinson, and then addressed the audience. It was at this moment that the baby called out! A special display in the foyer and a comprehensive article in the programme testified to Roy Douglas's long and distinguished career. In a short interview during the interval he recalled for me some of his musical memories and his long association with Tunbridge Wells. We send him our thanks, congratulations and best wishes.
Like Roy Douglas, Haydn often showed a great sense of humour and an enjoyment of life which he expressed in his music. The Creation was written in 1798 in Haydn's later years, yet it is full of youthful freshness, originality and delight at the 'wonders of His work'. The choir, orchestra (as always, capably led by Jane Gomm) and soloists responded to their conductor, Richard Jenkinson, to convey this in full to the enthusiastic audience. The splendid choruses, which reflect Haydn's admiration for Handel's music, were tackled confidently by the choir with excellent diction and articulation. There was a wonderful array of fine orchestral playing, including some superbly flexible and expressive wind playing. Haydn frequently provided programmatic accompaniments to colour the text as it described the panoply of animal and vegetable life, and these passages allowed us to appreciate our gifted musicians.
The soloists were, as always, excellent musicians who bring a wealth of talent and experience to our local scene. This line-up was no exception - Nicki Kennedy (soprano), Sean Clayton (tenor) and Adrian Powter (baritone), ably joined by Harriet Webb (mezzo-soprano) for the final quartet- and they sang with the childlike wonder at creation and with the nobility required for the work of the Creator. A beautiful sense of human warmth was added for the depiction of Adam and Eve, the singers looking at each other in their duets. Nicki Kennedy was outstanding in her vocal agility and her communication with the audience, whilst Sean Clayton and Adrian Powter sang with dignity and flexibility. Mention must be made here of the beautifully-intimate continuo playing of Christopher Harris (harpsichord) and William Bass (cello) during the Adam and Eve scene.
Haydn's Creation is strangely incongruous for people of the early twenty-first century with their cynicism about religion and their coldly-scientific approach to nature. Yet like the extremes of age in our audience, we would learn much by marrying the wisdom and skill of age with the naive sense of wonder of the little child, just as 'Papa' Haydn did in this wonderfully timeless work.
© Roger Evernden
Note: Roy Douglas is president of RTWCS - a photo of this event can be seen in our photo gallery (photos from 2005-9).
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Fauré at Vale Royal
"Tour de France"
7th July 2007
For their summer season concert the Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society performed two choral works by Gabriel Fauré - the Requiem and the Cantique de Jean Racine. They added for good measure a group of three of the composer's songs which, together with other short items, made an attractive filling to the musical sandwich on offer. All this took place in the Vale Royal Methodist Church under the Society's conductor Richard Jenkinson, and in the presence of the Deputy Mayor.
Fauré was only nineteen and still a student when he wrote the Cantique de Jean Racine. It is a remarkably mature and tranquil work which has become increasingly popular in recent years, although opportunities to hear it live remain comparatively few and far between. The first thing that struck me about the Choral Society's performance was that the gentlemen appear to have increased in number and as a result they were not, for once, overwhelmed by the ladies. Even the tenors could be clearly heard, which is of such importance in works that depend so much on harmonic development and texture. A pleasing balance between the parts was supported by a sensitive organ continuo from Michael Bacon who, among his many other duties, is organist at the church of King Charles the Martyr (see postcript below) in Royal Tunbridge Wells.
Then came the sandwich filling. First, two well-known songs - Martini's Plaisir d'Amour and Berceuse de Jocelyn - sung by Roland Miller, who has an agreeable light-brown baritone voice, well sustained throughout a considerable range. He was followed by the soprano Sarah Lingard in a group of three Fauré songs, including Aprés un rêve. Lovely, beautifully rounded and authentically French performances impressively accompanied by Anthony Zerpa-Falcon, who made his personal contribution to the programme not by playing French pieces as advertised, but with an account of Chopin's formidable Ballade No.1. The brilliance of the music and of his performance shone through the behaviour of the instrument and the wayward acoustics of the church itself.
Many different arrangements, by no means all of them authorised by the composer, exist of the principal work in the RTWCS Fauré programme, the Requiem. The last time I heard this sublime music was in a live, full-blooded orchestral performance in the huge church of Saint Eustace (the one nobody talks about) at Les Halles in Paris, where the first performance of Grande messe des morts by Berlioz took place. It is difficult to imagine two more dissimilar works - one completely right for its setting: the other definitely not.
So it was with eager anticipation, as they say, that I looked forward to hearing one of the stripped down versions in which the voices and the organ would be heard to best advantage. And, of course, that solo violin in the Sanctus which, on this occasion, was played by George Clifford. I realise that it is risky for an Englishman to criticize a Frenchman - and Fauré of all people - on a matter of musical taste, but in an otherwise chaste and austere setting what purpose does this decoration serve? However you answer this question there is at least one point on which I am quite clear: it should be played, as the composer intended, as a wispy, ethereal descant suggesting an angelic chorus, and not as though it were part of a violin concerto for chorus and orchestra.
Once again the soprano and baritone soloists shone in their performances. Sarah Lingard's Pie Jesu was pure and beautifully controlled, while Roland Millar sang Libera Me with great clarity of diction and conviction. With very few exceptions the choral entrances and exits were well managed by Richard Jenkinson, and it is clear that he shares to the full John Rutter's view that Fauré's masterpiece should be treated as a liturgical work for modest forces to perform in church, which is exactly how the composer conceived it.
I couldn't agree more.
© Robert Hardcastle
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Postscript - King Charles the Martyr By way of a complete digression, the only other church in this country I have found dedicated to King Charles the Martyr is in the delightful small port of Fowey, in the West Country. If you are aware of any others, please let me know.
Elgar at Rochester - with the Bach Choir of Wiesbaden
The Kingdom
Rochester Cathedral - 27th May 2007
In Rochester Cathedral on the Sunday of Pentecost the Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society, and their friends from the Bach Choir of the twin town of Wiesbaden, gave a performance of The Kingdom by Sir Edward Elgar to mark the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth.
The combined choir of more than 150 voices was supported by the Bernadi Symphony Orchestra, led by Andrew Bernadi. The four soloists were Sally Harrison (soprano), Kim-Marie Woodhouse (mezzo-soprano), Jon English (tenor) and, at short notice, Christopher Foster (baritone). The oratorio was conducted by the Choral Society's musical director Richard Jenkinson, who not only kept his formidable forces together but deployed them to great effect.
It was a memorable occasion for many reasons, not the least of which was the powerful impact made by the orchestra in the opening bars of the Prelude, and by the entry of the choir a little later. The whole of the ancient cathedral reverberated, it seemed, with the glory of Elgar at his majestic best, with the richness of his harmonies, those purposeful forward-moving motifs so brilliantly orchestrated, and just enough of the drooping cadences of Gerontius to remind us of what he had earlier achieved as a choral composer.
The soloists worked well together, playing their parts to take the narrative forward at all the crucial moments. There were times when they had to defend themselves against the sheer volume of the orchestra and the cavernous sound quality of the cathedral itself. These losses of balance cannot be laid at the door of the performers or of the conductor: they are - almost without fail - the fault of the composer, and Elgar is by no means alone in this regard.
The show-stopper in the second part of the work - The Sun Goeth Down - illustrates the point. Here Elgar brings his orchestra under much stricter control: the lightness and delicacy of the orchestration allow the soprano voice to move centre stage and to blossom and to flower most beautifully. For this solo passage Sally Harrison, as Mary, seized her opportunity with relish, and who can blame her?
Even the most ardent admirer will admit that for all its power and conviction, The Kingdom is a flawed work. It is scarcely a coincidence that after it was first performed Elgar abandoned his plan for a successor work, and composed no more religious music other than short motets for special occasions. 'There is no point in writing music', he notes in his diary, 'that nobody wants to hear'.
Nevertheless, this last oratorio certainly deserves to be heard, especially when it is performed to the impressive standards achieved by Richard Jenkinson and his Anglo-German band of musicians. A further performance is to be given later this year at the Lutherkirche in Wiesbaden on Saturday 24 November.
© Robert Hardcastle
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Organ recital by Richard Jenkinson
Vale Royal Church - 21st April 2007
Fund raising concert
No review available - click on image to view programme.
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Music for Palm Sunday and Good Friday
"Procession of Palms" by Malcolm Williamson
"The Crucifixion" by John Stainer
Saturday 24 March 2007 - Vale Royal Methodist Church
This was their second concert of the day, the afternoon performance having been given at St Mary's Church in Goudhurst.
There was a near-capacity audience at Vale Royal for this concert of seasonal sacred music. The two contrasting works presented took us from the jubilant procession into Jerusalem through to Jesus' last hours on earth and his Crucifixion.
The concert opened with Malcolm Williamson's "Procession of Palms", written over 40 years ago but still sounding fresh and vibrant. The familiar words of two hymns "Ride on! Ride on in majesty!" and "All glory, laud and honour" are given distinctly different treatment from the hymn tunes normally associated with them. Williamson's melodies are no less effective and show that 20th century composers are perfectly capable of writing tunes!
"Ride on!" is accompanied by a largely independent organ part, which begins pianissimo, with a rhythmic pattern which is repeated throughout but whose harmonies become more dissonant and dynamics gradually increase finally reaching fortissimo - one is reminded of Ravel's Bolero! The choir clearly relished this music and, despite the earlier performance, their voices sounded fresh and unforced. Their gaze was fixed on their conductor, Richard Jenkinson, whose control was admirable.
For "All glory" the choir and organ are reunited and some unexpected modulations add to the excitement! The work has an unexpected ending with the upper voices singing a hushed "O Saviour of the world" where the musical line is rather angular (reminding us that this is a 20th century composer) followed by a melodious 2-part setting of the Benedictus and finally an exultant Hosanna.
John Stainer's "The Crucifixion" made for a complete contrast. This work is often dismissed as Victorian sentimentality. Yet it has stood the test of time with choirs and choral societies providing performances year on year and audiences clearly appreciate this work. That several of the hymns are well established also speaks volumes.
Written for choir with tenor and bass soloists, this performance was unusual in that the bass solos were shared. The soloists were drawn from the choral society ranks and Richard Jenkinson took the unusual step of conducting their solos. The earlier performance must have taken its toll on their voices; their delivery lacked sufficient projection and their upper ranges were strained at times. The lack of projection prevented the organist from employing more appropriate registrations, especially in "King ever glorious" which was a great pity.
The noisy wind supply to the organ also detracted from the quieter solos - the church was never properly quiet - clearly those who maintain the organ need to sort out the wind leakages as a top priority! By contrast, the choirs' projection was just right throughout and, in "Fling wide the gates!" and "The Appeal of the Crucified", the organ was able to blaze away without drowning the voices. Great stuff! The choir was, in fact, in fine form. The intonation, diction and blend were all highly commendable. Ends of phrases were very neat and the diminuendos were very skilfully done - most choirs are good at crescendos, but diminuendos are usually either non- existent or executed too rapidly.
The tenors and basses came into their own for the short sections of 4-part harmony; in so many performances by church choirs these passages can be very ineffective and, in some cases, downright embarrassing - but not here. Bravo!
Richard Jenkinson, their conductor had clearly rehearsed his forces exceptionally well; all eyes were on him and he communicated what he wanted very effectively. The concert was accompanied by talented young organist, Alistair Curtis. His contribution added enormously to the overall performance. The playing was crisp and rhythmic and his choice of registrations was sensitive with one or two very minor exceptions.
© Paul Jeffery
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Carols at St. Barnabas
10th December 2006
No review available
Click on image to view programme.
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Tunbridge Wells Civic Concert
Handel – Coronation Anthems & Bach – Magnificat
Assembly Hall Tunbridge Wells, 12th November 2006
The concert given on 12 November in the Assembly Hall by the Tunbridge Wells Choral Society, in its 102nd. year, formed part of the 400th. Anniversary celebrations of Tunbridge Wells. The programme presented an interesting juxtaposition of choral music in honour of a secular monarch, George II, and Jesus, the man born to be king. As such, the music, respectively by Handel and Bach, contrasted celebration from a universal point of view and a personal one.
The almost-100-strong choir was on good form under the direction of its regular conductor, Richard Jenkinson, giving a splendid opening blast of vibrant tone in Handel´s Zadok the Priest. The unsympathetic acoustic of the Assembly Hall did not help the more exposed passages where vocal counterpoint and individual entries were prevalent. Handel wrote for a more spacious and grandiose setting, and the need for this was apparent throughout the four Coronation Anthems. Throughout the choral items, the orchestra (ably and positively led by Jane Gomm) responded well and played with accuracy and insight. The challenging brass parts were played with great panache, led by Jeremy Clack. The continuo playing showed flair and precision, but the player deserved a better instrument than the digital keyboard provided. The Bach Magnificat allowed plenty of opportunity for the large audience to enjoy solo playing. The one solo orchestral piece was Bach´s Suite no 3 in D major - a good choice because its orchestration and key complemented the Magnificat. This well-known piece was played accurately, but lacked careful shaping of phrases and dynamics, and parts were, frankly, rather dull. More rehearsal time would permit more perceptive interpretations of these orchestral pieces included in basically choral programmes. This was apparent in the accompaniments to the choral works as well.
The Bach Magnificat is much more personal and expressive than the Handel anthems, and the four soloists came into their own here. They were Nicola-Jane Kemp (soprano), Louise Armit (mezzo-soprano), Julian Alexander Smith (tenor) and Adrian Powter (baritone). They exhibited fine tone and sensitive expression in both solo items and when in duet, and they communicated well with the audience. This was not easy because they were positioned on the stage between choir and orchestra. This was far from ideal, because they needed to ‘speak’ directly with the audience in these small-scale movements. The Magnificat consists of a series of short sections, and continuity is of the essence if the flow of the music is to work. The logistics of staging did not facilitate this. Similarly the choir had to respond quickly to new moods, dynamics and textures, and this did not always happen in this technically challenging music.
Despite the problems associated with lack of rehearsal when all the forces come together on the day and the consequent broad-brush approach when expressive details were called for, the concert was well received by the audience and the choir clearly enjoyed the experience. That amateurs and professionals can work so well together producing challenging repertoire in such effective ways is a great treasure of the British musical scene. May the Tunbridge Wells Choral Society continue this great work well into its second century. Certainly Handel would not say ´God rot Tunbridge Wells …and all its damned sawing fiddlers´ if he were here today, as he is reported to have said in 1759.
© Roger Evernden
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Summer Concert
Vivaldi's Gloria & Rutter's The Sprig of Thyme
Vale Royal Methodist Church, 24th June 2006
It was good to see a capacity audience supporting the latest concert given by the Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society last Saturday (24 June) at Vale Royal Methodist Church, Tunbridge Wells. On this occasion the choral forces were strengthened with additional voices from potential new members and by a large choir from Somerhill School, Tonbridge.
The programme was ideal for a beautiful midsummer’s evening with nothing too heavy or serious. The concert opened with John Rutter’s “The Sprig of Thyme”, a collection of 11 traditional songs which, to quote the composer, “brought delight and pleasure during postwar times now tinged with nostalgia because for the most part they are forgotten and gone from our lives”. His settings are imaginative using diverse combinations - songs for upper voices only, songs for gentlemen only, songs for the whole choir, some accompanied, some with piano, some with orchestra. The Somerhill School choir joined in with the first and last songs and the girls sang with the sopranos for “I know where I’m going”, their youthful fresh voices blending surprisingly well with the adult singers.
It is unusual these days to see so many tenors and basses (24 in all) and they gave a good account of themselves in their numbers with clear diction and good tone for the most part — some were glued to their scores much of the time which is always a concern for the conductor! The upper voices were clear and made a really lovely, unforced sound; however, the words were not always clear because of a lack of consonants in places. They had clearly been well rehearsed, with neat endings to phrases, good balance between the voices and well controlled dynamics.
Between the choral works were two instrumental interludes. The Sussex Camerata string quartet played two short arrangements. The first was Shostakovitch’s Romance from his filmscore for The Gadfly, well-known to all Classic FM listeners, followed by Gershwin´s ever popular Summertime, both exquisitely played. Then came a frothy organ Sortie by Frenchman Lefebure-Wely played with considerable aplomb by the Society´s director of music, Richard Jenkinson; an item which went down well with the audience judging by the applause!
The concert concluded with Vivaldi´s well-known Gloria, with the children from Somerhill School adding brightness to the soprano line throughout. They had clearly been well prepared — this is exhausting music for adults to sing let alone for boys and girls. The advantage of having just one instrument per part was the balance between voices and orchestra — the latter never masked the former but their energy was fundamental to the overall effect. Richard Jenkinson was adventurous in his choice of tempi. Et in terra pax was taken somewhat slower than usual and this allowed the harmonic shifts to make maximum impact whilst Propter magnam gloriam took of at such a pace that it took several bars to settle. The last movement was also taken at a rather exciting tempo which seemed to unsettle players and singers alike.
However, the overall effect of Vivaldi´s masterpiece was most pleasing and the soprano soloists, Sarah Lingard and Harriet Webb were well matched and sang with beautiful tone and considerable confidence.
The orchestral forces comprising strings, oboe, trumpet and piano/continuo were superb throughout, making their contribution tell without ever overshadowing the voices. Richard Jenkinson is to be congratulated for masterminding an evening full of warm but vibrant playing, fine singing and an excellent choice of programme.
© Paul Jeffery
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The Magic of Mozart
Coronation Mass, Solemn Vespers, Ave Verum Corpus, Piano Concerto No. 21, Exultate Jubilate
Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells, 26th March 2006
In a "star is born" sequence, more appropriate to Hollywood than to Royal Tunbridge Wells, a rehearsal pianist took over as soloist to steal the show with a dazzling performance of a Mozart piano concerto, in the middle of a recent choral concert in the Assembly Hall.
To present a programme of choral music by Mozart to celebrate the 250th anniversary of his birth is a fairly obvious idea. To include a piano concerto in such a programme may be regarded as unorthodox and enterprising. But to invite your rehearsal pianist to take the solo part is nothing less than brilliant - provided, that is, his name is Anthony Zerpa-Falcon.
Under their conductor Richard Jenkinson, the Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society and a well-balanced group of soloists - Lesley-Jane Rogers (soprano), Catrin Johnsson (mezzo-soprano), Philip Salmon (tenor) and Andrew Rupp (baritone) - started with a somewhat tentative performance of the Vesperae solennes de confessore, K339. This is a work which, with its sharply contrasting episodes and changes of key, needs more commitment than in fact it received. Not even the soprano Lesley-Jane Rogers in the Laudate Dominum, a section sometimes performed on its own, could bring the music fully to life, and I started to wonder if, perhaps, it had not been given sufficient time in rehearsal.
But such gloomy thoughts were soon dispelled, like clouds on a bright spring day, with the way in which the choir sang Mozart’s sublime setting of the motet Ave, verum corpus, K618. Originally composed not for chorus but for four solo voices, strings and organ, it has become one of the Choral Society’s set pieces which they perform with a radiant sonority and sense of control - a tribute to Richard Jenkinson’s choral training.
There followed a lightening of the atmosphere and some amusement in the stalls as the hydraulic platform slowly raised the Steinway piano, for all the world like a cinema organ of the 1930s, from the bowels of the Assembly Hall to the much higher level of the stage. Barbara Maw’s single A natural to tune the orchestra drew a trickle of applause (although it must be said that she played it very well), and we then settled down to await the arrival of the conductor and the pianist Anthony Zerpa-Falcon, suddenly elevated from his place in the orchestra as organ continuo to become the instrumental soloist of the day.
The opening bars of the C major concerto, K467, were a shock: “surely too fast,” I thought. Then came the piano entry: brilliantly clear and precise, wonderfully elegant and assured. Only later did I learn that it was Anthony who set the tempo with the agreement of the conductor, and he was absolutely right to do so. This was a young man´s interpretation, full of verve, drive and confidence, in which there was no risk of the orchestra supporting the soloist in the plodding manner we hear all too often in this work. In their performance all members of the orchestra matched the delicacy and enthusiasm of Anthony Zerpa-Falcon, and provided a perfect balance to his pianism.
There is a point to make here. Those of us blessed with two good ears hear everything in stereo, left and right. Most of the time we are not even conscious of this. We don´t have to do anything about it - it´s just the way the whole thing works. But at this concert the instruments were by chance arranged in a very unusual way, with the piano well above the orchestra. So there was a sense of vertical up and down in the perceived sound as well as horizontal side to side. I found the experience quite fascinating - but perhaps I have spent too much of my time in the recording business!
To return to the concerto and Anthony Zerpa-Falcon, whose whole approach to the work avoided any risk of sentimentality in the gorgeous (but now notorious) andante. The finale skittered along irresistibly and, like the first movement, included a short but brilliant cadenza by the celebrated pianist and Mozart scholar Géza Anda.
This was a performance to treasure by a name to remember - rarely have I head such waves of applause in the Assembly Hall or anywhere else for that matter. Anthony Zerpa-Falcon will surely go far.
After the interval two choral pieces remained. The Exsultate, jubilate K165 with its celebrated Alleluia, beautifully sung by Lesley-Jane Rogers, followed by probably the most loved of all Mozart´s masses, the so-called "Coronation Mass" in C major, K317. This joyous work is scored in such a way that the solo singers are constantly to be heard - as a quartet, in pairs or in solo lines that contrast dramatically with the choir as a whole. It was given a splendidly coherent performance to remind us that this was, after all, a choral concert, and a very good one at that.
© Robert Hardcastle
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