Reviews
Friday 2nd April 2009 – ‘Bach’s B Minor Mass’ at St Mary Magdalene’s Church, Taunton
Amici and Orchestra West, Conducted by John Cole
Review by Wayne Bennett
“Monumental Bach”
Bach’s B Minor Mass is a monumental work and one fitting for the annual Good Friday concert given by the Amici Choir and OrchestraWest at a full St Mary Magdalene’s Church, Taunton. Lasting just under 2 hours, it is a work on a grand and ambitious scale which was never performed complete in Bach’s own lifetime. Consisting of no less than 16 choruses and 9 arias and duets it is a formidable challenge for performers and audience alike.
Despite the challenge, Amici under their conductor,John Cole, are old hands at ambitious works and they did not let us down on this occasion. Overall the choral singing was excellent with only a couple of momentary lapses of concentration and vocal attack. The sopranos held their line and verve throughout and full marks have to be awarded to choir for their impeccable tuning. The orchestra, led by Barry Haskey, underpinned everything with brilliant trumpet and horn contributions and outstanding woodwind obligato playing especially from the oboes.
The line up of young professional soloists consisted of Caroline MacPhie (soprano), Kate Symonds-Joy (mezzo-soprano), Rupert Charlesworth (tenor) and Thomas Faulkner (bass). Rupert Charlesworth sang most beautifully and movingly in the Benedictus and it was good to hear Thomas Faulkner perform his aria with stylish ease moving effortlessly throughout the range of his voice. John Cole managed to keep the dynamic relationship between singers and orchestra in perfect balance. The tempi were well-judged and only once did this reviewer feel things dragging a bit. Given the scale of the work this can be quickly forgiven. One has to take one’s hat off to Amici and John Cole for once again offering a concert of such high standards. The orchestra and soloists were professionals but the difference between them and the amateur forces of the choir was imperceptible.
Sunday 13th December 2009 – ‘Messiah’ at King’s College Chapel, Taunton
Amici and Orchestra West, Conducted by John Cole
Review by David Yates
Traditionally, oratorio is performed by singers soberly and uniformly dressed, standing in neat rows and singing over (or into) their music copies. But why not borrow some ideas from opera to introduce drama, movement and more imaginative costuming? This was the approach adopted by Amici for their performance (or “production”) of Handel’s Messiah in King’s College Chapel on Sunday.
For practical reasons the setting chosen was a modern one, a court of law, complete with barrister, red-robed judge and clerk with laptop computer. It is a good idea, and someone had to try it (John Cole dreamed it up, unaware of ENO’s venture).
Did it work? Arguably Messiah does not lend itself very readily to dramatic treatment, but I am sure that here it created a relaxed spontaneity, and perhaps even enhanced a musical performance already characterised by the polished professionalism which we expect of Amici and Orchestra West.
Soprano soloists Lisa Tustian and Jennie Morris were from the choir, as was alto Linda Cole, and hearing them individually helped to explain the brilliance of the full chorus sound. Tenor Peter Evans was a pleasure to hear, and, for me, bass David Soar’s singing was something quite special. The young alto, Peter Oakley, was at his best when his voice could float clear of the orchestra.
Tingle factor moment? The beautiful quiet singing of the chorus in ‘Since by man came death’. Another high spot? The Hallelujah Chorus, sung without hindrance of music copies by full front-of-stage company!
8th November 2009 – Rememberance Sunday Concert at King’s College
Review by Wayne Bennett
“Faultless Performance”
Amici’s annual Remembrance Sunday concert at King’s College Chapel attended by the Lord Lieutenant and other civic dignitaries, was an all Mozart programme featuring the Solemn Vespers K339 and the great Mass in C Minor.
The standard of performance was exceptionally high with the choir on absolutely cracking form. All sections distinguished themselves although special mention must be given to the sopranos who provided a wonderful sheen to the top vocal line. The tone, intonation, vocal attack, ensemble and sheer stamina were impressive throughout. Indeed the standard of singing was so high that you had to remind yourself that this was home grown material from down the road.
Soloists Lorna Anderson and Mary Morgan (sopranos), Rupert Charlesworth (tenor) and Niall Hoskin (bass) performed in both works. The two female voices had most to do and were well-matched when together in the Domine Deus of the Mass. Lorna Anderson had some stunningly difficult coloratura which she handled with assurance and poise. The famous Laudate Dominum of the Vespers was performed with great elegance and beauty.
OrchestraWest once again distinguished themselves with excellent playing that never swamped the vocal line. It is the opinion of this reviewer that John Cole delivered a performance of extraordinary quality. The tempi never dragged and the ensemble was razor sharp. The choir were drilled in every dynamic and it all held together marvellously. My only quibble is that, such is the ambition of Amici, I cannot see how it can sustain its identity as a chamber choir. Theirs is now a professional sound capable of almost anything in the repertoire.
10th April 2009 – Good Friday Concert at St Mary’s
Review by Wayne Bennett
The Good Friday concert at Taunton’s St Mary Magdalene’s Church was given once again by the Amici chamber choir and OrchestraWest. Two very different choral works featured; Haydn’s ‘Harmoniemesse’ and the ever-popular Fauré Requiem.
The ‘Harmoniemesse’ is a late Haydn work and there were many occasions of real quality when the singing came through loud and clear such as in the contrapuntal passages of the Quoniam tu Solus. The four fine soloists were drawn from the ranks of the choir; soprano Lisa Tustian, alto Clara Wood, tenor Simon Hurrell and bass Michael Collins. The two female voices blended quite beautifully and all voices displayed assurance whether together or in their exposed solos. The professional forces of OrchestraWest enabled conductor John Cole to keep things moving at a good pace throughout, adding drama and momentum in equal measure. The fanfare opening of the concluding Dona Nobis Pacem was particularly effective and led to a rousing conclusion.
Written just ninety years after the Haydn, the Fauré Requiem paints a completely different sound picture. The choir were totally at ease with this music and it showed. They were in their metier, pitch perfect and totally in control. The performance was faultless. Soprano Jennie Morris was most moving in the Pie Jesu solo. Her pure tone was just the right for a part which if often sung by a boy treble in cathedral performances. Michael Collins sang his baritone part very nicely with all the necessary attention to phrasing and dynamics in place. The orchestral playing was excellent throughout with special honours going to leader Barry Haskey for his exquisite violin solo and to organist Andrew Carter who had much to do on a substitute instrument after the church organ gave up during the morning, in a drama requiring the attendance of the fire brigade! The final honour must go to conductor John Cole who controlled the tempi and dynamics with great skill and musicality enabling the whole work to bask in the intense golden light of French late romanticism. The capacity audience loved every moment.
15th March 2009 – Verdi’s Requiem at King’s College
Review by Wayne Bennett
“Awesome Requiem”
Last Sunday evening Taunton experienced a wonderfully vivid performance of Verdi’s Requiem in the big space of King’s College Chapel. The Amici Choir were joined by the young but very able voices of the school’s choir as well as the full ensemble of Orchestra West and four distinguished soloists. From the opening hushed bars to the final resolution of the work, a near capacity audience were spellbound by the sheer beauty and power of the music-making. At the helm was conductor John Cole who shaped the work marvellously through its many different changes of tempo and character. That said, foreboding is never too far away from this work and the Dies Irae (Day of Anger) movement with its trumpet calls echoing around the hall was simply awesome. At the end of the work, just when you thought things were coming to rest the Dies Irae element returns with shocking impact. The choral forces were on top form with great vocal power and exemplary diction maintained throughout.
The soloists were soprano Naomi Harvey, mezzo-soprano Alison Kettlewell, tenor Justin Lavender and bass Alan Fairs standing in for an indisposed Eddie Wade. Alison Kettlewell was gloriously radiant and Naomi Harvey was powerful and beautifully controlled. Her floating top B flat in the Libera Me (exposed and tricky at the best of times) was exquisite. Alan Fairs’s contribution was outstanding. He sang with intelligence and a wholly expressive commitment to both words and music with no strain evident at all in what is a demanding and vocally wide-ranging part. Orchestra West vindicated once more the decision by John Cole and colleagues to establish a professional orchestra for Somerset. Their excellent playing bound the whole work together.
