OPERA CHORUSES


 

Newbury Choral Society at St. Nicolas Church, Newbury

Saturday 28th March 2009

 
 

This concert was certainly a “Night at the Opera”, or more correctly “Operas” as in fact Newbury Choral Society sang well-known choruses from ten different operas!  Although an unusual choice of programme for the group, the result was very successful.  The contrasting styles of music made the concert very entertaining.

 

The operas were performed in five different languages with great gusto and enthusiasm by this large choir.  It was very apparent that the singers were enjoying themselves.  The choir dress was all black and this enhanced the singers portrayal of the drama.  The translations (mostly by Robert Whiting) were very helpful.  The tenors and basses in the choir really excelled themselves in two of the choruses when some of them sang separate parts as “Mountebanks” in “Roman Carnival” by Berlioz and priests in “Triumphal Scene” from “Aida” by Verdi.

 

  

The soloists, Julie Cooper (soprano), Annie Gill (mezzo-soprano), Tom Raskin (tenor) and Ben Davies (baritone) were outstanding, especially after the interval when they acted their parts as if on stage.  The soloists set the moving and restrained style perfectly before the chorus “With drooping wings” from Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas”.  The soprano and tenor solos in “Brindisi” from “La Traviata” by Verdi were sung with infectious enthusiasm with a well-balanced accompaniment from the choir and the piano.  “Voyagers’ Chorus” by Mozart had a lovely soprano solo in the middle section and was preceded by the mezzo-soprano singing the well-known aria, “Voi che sapete”  by the same composer from “Marriage of Figaro”. 

 

The pianist, Iain Farrington, really made the accompaniment sound like an orchestra, with his phenomenal technique.  This was particularly heard in the “Polovtsian Dances” by Borodin, which is a very technically demanding transcription, even adding in extra notes from the original score.  This was his second appearance with the Choral Society.  (Listen out for him again in May when he returns to perform in the Newbury Spring Festival.)

 

  

Daniel Jordan was making his debut as guest conductor with Newbury Choral Society, having previously performed with the choir as soloist.  He was able to contrast the yearning of “Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves” from “Nabucco” by Verdi, the formality of “Procession and Chorale” from “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” by Wagner and the sultry style of “Habanera” from “Carmen” by Bizet.  The other extract from “Carmen” was “March of the Toreadors”, which sounded very energetic and convincing.  “Easter Hymn” by Mascagni was transcending and the perfect finale to this Spring concert.

 

Rosemary Evans