Concert Reviews 2018
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Remembrance Concert - 10 November 2018
The texts of Vaughan Williams’s Five Mystical Songs and that of Brahms’s German Requiem were perfectly apt for a Remembrance week-end concert in Romsey Abbey. The setting of George Herbert’s words, dating from 1911, combines pastoral lyricism with stirring religious fervour and imaginatively scores the vocal writing for chorus and baritone soloist. Romsey Choral Society produced velvety pianissimos and vibrant, rhythmic panache where required and were splendidly served by bass-baritone Edward Grint. Here was a singer of real conviction and firm technique with perfect diction and a real stylistic understanding of the repertoire. The Requiem was sung in German and again benefited from the baritone’s resonant, dignified delivery. This was matched in the brief soprano solo by the beautifully warm and finely tuned voice of Nina Bennet. Credit then goes to the choir singing in all seven movements of the Brahms. Conductor Jamie W. Hall achieves considerable cohesion and blend from approximately eighty singers, once more impressive in soft chording and always crisp in enunciation. There was appropriate dynamic breadth in this work and only the first of the two challenging fugues - that ending movement 3 - led to a loss of power. In such complex and demanding choral writing the choir’s secure rhythms and forward momentum are tributes to their director’s leadership. Instead of the normal orchestral accompaniments to these two works the Society opted for piano-only played with assurance by Richard McVeigh in the Vaughan Williams, joined by Richard Pearce in Brahms’s own arrangement of the Requiem for four hands. A piano’s percussive nature (and here occasionally dubious tuning) perhaps clashes with the many mellifluous moments in this serene programme. Nevertheless, it was warmly received by the large audience. Review by Derek Beck |
JOYFUL MUSIC-MAKING AT ROMSEY ABBEY
- 7 July 2018
Romsey Choral Society conducted by Jamie W. Hall and in the presence of the Mayor of Romsey, Dorothy Baverstock and the Mayor of Test Valley, Ian Carr, performed choral masterpieces from history’s greatest composers on Saturday July 7th. Their last scheduled concert was cancelled due to the snow in March. Last night singers and audience were unusually hot in an Abbey famous for its Arctic temperatures. The extreme heat seemed to affect the performance of Bach’s Jesu, Meine Freude, but the choir, under Jamie’s encouraging and sensitive direction soon came into their own with a very expressive and detailed rendition of an extract from Rachmaninov’s,” All Night Vigil.” The tenor soloist for the fourth vesper was Matthew Minter. His full blooded tone and commanding presence were exactly what was required for this piece. All the voices excelled in this work. The sopranos sang with great beauty of tone and the altos balanced them perfectly. The men too were clearly enjoying themselves and sang with confidence and strength. After the interval, Baroque pieces alternated with Romantic pieces. Highlights were Schutz’s joyful, “Psalm 100,” Palestrina’s massive engine of a piece,” Tu Es Petrus” and the sublimely comforting, “Geistliches Lied” by Brahms. The choir’s excellent German pronunciation was particularly noticeable in the Schutz and the Brahms. The choir was accompanied throughout the concert by Richard McVeigh playing both a chamber organ which he built himself and the nave organ. He also played two solos on the Walker organ showing the congregation the fully beauty of this excellent instrument. He demonstrated his considerable expertise through his playing of pieces by Bach and Mendelssohn. Music in Romsey chose to honour Edna Rowland as she retired from her role as secretary and concert organizer. The choice of a concert by the Romsey Choral Society was apt as Edna’s husband Mike was on the steering committee for the formation of the Romsey Choral Society and Edna became the first secretary. Edna was presented with a Tudor vase that had been engraved by Patricia Hilton-Robinson. Mike was presented with a paper weight with a depiction of the choir stalls in the Abbey where he used to sing. It must give them great pleasure to hear the Romsey Choral Society going from strength to strength under the gifted direction of Jamie W. Hall.
Review by Carol Bishop
- 7 July 2018
Romsey Choral Society conducted by Jamie W. Hall and in the presence of the Mayor of Romsey, Dorothy Baverstock and the Mayor of Test Valley, Ian Carr, performed choral masterpieces from history’s greatest composers on Saturday July 7th. Their last scheduled concert was cancelled due to the snow in March. Last night singers and audience were unusually hot in an Abbey famous for its Arctic temperatures. The extreme heat seemed to affect the performance of Bach’s Jesu, Meine Freude, but the choir, under Jamie’s encouraging and sensitive direction soon came into their own with a very expressive and detailed rendition of an extract from Rachmaninov’s,” All Night Vigil.” The tenor soloist for the fourth vesper was Matthew Minter. His full blooded tone and commanding presence were exactly what was required for this piece. All the voices excelled in this work. The sopranos sang with great beauty of tone and the altos balanced them perfectly. The men too were clearly enjoying themselves and sang with confidence and strength. After the interval, Baroque pieces alternated with Romantic pieces. Highlights were Schutz’s joyful, “Psalm 100,” Palestrina’s massive engine of a piece,” Tu Es Petrus” and the sublimely comforting, “Geistliches Lied” by Brahms. The choir’s excellent German pronunciation was particularly noticeable in the Schutz and the Brahms. The choir was accompanied throughout the concert by Richard McVeigh playing both a chamber organ which he built himself and the nave organ. He also played two solos on the Walker organ showing the congregation the fully beauty of this excellent instrument. He demonstrated his considerable expertise through his playing of pieces by Bach and Mendelssohn. Music in Romsey chose to honour Edna Rowland as she retired from her role as secretary and concert organizer. The choice of a concert by the Romsey Choral Society was apt as Edna’s husband Mike was on the steering committee for the formation of the Romsey Choral Society and Edna became the first secretary. Edna was presented with a Tudor vase that had been engraved by Patricia Hilton-Robinson. Mike was presented with a paper weight with a depiction of the choir stalls in the Abbey where he used to sing. It must give them great pleasure to hear the Romsey Choral Society going from strength to strength under the gifted direction of Jamie W. Hall.
Review by Carol Bishop
