The PWCS summer concert provided a wide ranging pot pourri of a programme with something to meet a wide variety of tastes. We had well-known, popular pieces, classical items, the spoken word, a duet from opera and instrumental solos. This offered an eclectic programme under the title All Creatures Great and Small.
The choir obviously enjoyed the opening number All Gods creatures got a place in the choir. It was all the more impressive when they gave a reprise at the end of the evening – they’d warmed up.
From that high spirited and folksy start we moved into familiar classical ground with All We Like Sheep from Messiah. This is not a new piece for this experienced choir. The demanding ‘We have turned’ section was attacked and mastered in every part. This attack, however, would have been even more dramatic if the final short section, marked p in the score, had been just that – quieter, conveying the enormity of the libretto.
Considering the diversity of the programme it is a pity that the Blake/Taverner ‘The Lamb’ followed the Handel chorus. The choir did well to sustain the long, flowing sequences but, again, a stronger emphasis on the dynamics would have heightened the distinctly dramatic nature of the score.
It was no surprise that cats should feature in this programme. Coupling Skimbleshanks with our very own local railway was a neat device and Carol Barnett, complete with guard’s hat and whistle, made it all her own. Her later presentation of Betty’s Prayer was equally engaging.
Another feline highlight of the evening was the Cat Duet by Rossini. Abigail Gutteridge and Victoria Cole are to be congratulated for a stunning performance which drew out the comedy of the piece much to the audience’s delight. This item was made doubly exciting because Katy Essam was unable to sing and Ms Cole was shipped in at the last moment and performed with no rehearsal. A real achievement.
The Music Director featured twice in the evening in two very different pieces. Saint-Saens ‘The Swan’ is an appropriately elegant piece which Mr Ashman delivered impeccably on the flugelhorn. His range on brass instruments is impressive and he proved it further with his second piece later in the programme with ‘The Flight of the Bumblebee’. This notoriously daunting piece came across with great speed, accuracy and delightful tone on the cornet.
A barbershop ensemble of seven singers from the choir opened the second half with a rousing, expertly performed gospel song, ‘De animals a-comin’’. This was most effective because the singers were obviously enjoying themselves and each part was well differentiated.
The juxtaposition of this with The Blue Bird by Coleridge and Stanford – two such immediately different pieces – allowed each to stand out, as earlier programming of the Handel and the Blake didn’t. The dark colours of the choral line were well-maintained and, above and around them, Julie Buchanan provided a suitably ethereal line with her effortless performance. Another highlight.
Angus Morton is a mainstay of the choir and gave a stirring performance of ‘Born Free’ – the theme of the McKenna/Travers film about the lioness. Mr Morton’s great advantage here was that he needed no score. From the moment he stood out from his tenor position the audience was able to make immediate contact. His phrasing and sustaining of long phrases are exemplary. The choir is very fortunate to have him.
Looking at the audience – it has to be mentioned. Having sung with many in the choir for a number of years the reviewer can recall past music directors. ‘You’re not singing to the book, you’re singing to the audience!’ It was noticeable that the moments when a number of singers did look up the overall sound improved. It really does make a difference.
The remainder of the choir’s pieces for the evening were what were once called novelty items. ‘The owl and the pussy cat’, ‘Teddy Bear’s Picnic’, ‘The Hippopotamus Song’ and ‘I bought me a cat’ were all performed with relish. It was an anticlimax not to hear the women alone singing the hippopotata’s response to her ardent suitor but in all four pieces voices were clearly differentiated. Even the decimated bass section gave us the stirring tararara in Teddy Bears’ Picnic.
The whole evening was accompanied by Paul Jeffrey. Regular supporters of the choir will remember the many years he played at PWCS concerts so it goes without saying that he was a supportive and sympathetic accompanist.
This was the last concert in the choir’s post-pandemic year. It was good to hear such commitment and enthusiasm in such a variety of pieces. The singers evidently enjoyed that variety. We look forward to the season ahead and more dedicated music making.
The choir obviously enjoyed the opening number All Gods creatures got a place in the choir. It was all the more impressive when they gave a reprise at the end of the evening – they’d warmed up.
From that high spirited and folksy start we moved into familiar classical ground with All We Like Sheep from Messiah. This is not a new piece for this experienced choir. The demanding ‘We have turned’ section was attacked and mastered in every part. This attack, however, would have been even more dramatic if the final short section, marked p in the score, had been just that – quieter, conveying the enormity of the libretto.
Considering the diversity of the programme it is a pity that the Blake/Taverner ‘The Lamb’ followed the Handel chorus. The choir did well to sustain the long, flowing sequences but, again, a stronger emphasis on the dynamics would have heightened the distinctly dramatic nature of the score.
It was no surprise that cats should feature in this programme. Coupling Skimbleshanks with our very own local railway was a neat device and Carol Barnett, complete with guard’s hat and whistle, made it all her own. Her later presentation of Betty’s Prayer was equally engaging.
Another feline highlight of the evening was the Cat Duet by Rossini. Abigail Gutteridge and Victoria Cole are to be congratulated for a stunning performance which drew out the comedy of the piece much to the audience’s delight. This item was made doubly exciting because Katy Essam was unable to sing and Ms Cole was shipped in at the last moment and performed with no rehearsal. A real achievement.
The Music Director featured twice in the evening in two very different pieces. Saint-Saens ‘The Swan’ is an appropriately elegant piece which Mr Ashman delivered impeccably on the flugelhorn. His range on brass instruments is impressive and he proved it further with his second piece later in the programme with ‘The Flight of the Bumblebee’. This notoriously daunting piece came across with great speed, accuracy and delightful tone on the cornet.
A barbershop ensemble of seven singers from the choir opened the second half with a rousing, expertly performed gospel song, ‘De animals a-comin’’. This was most effective because the singers were obviously enjoying themselves and each part was well differentiated.
The juxtaposition of this with The Blue Bird by Coleridge and Stanford – two such immediately different pieces – allowed each to stand out, as earlier programming of the Handel and the Blake didn’t. The dark colours of the choral line were well-maintained and, above and around them, Julie Buchanan provided a suitably ethereal line with her effortless performance. Another highlight.
Angus Morton is a mainstay of the choir and gave a stirring performance of ‘Born Free’ – the theme of the McKenna/Travers film about the lioness. Mr Morton’s great advantage here was that he needed no score. From the moment he stood out from his tenor position the audience was able to make immediate contact. His phrasing and sustaining of long phrases are exemplary. The choir is very fortunate to have him.
Looking at the audience – it has to be mentioned. Having sung with many in the choir for a number of years the reviewer can recall past music directors. ‘You’re not singing to the book, you’re singing to the audience!’ It was noticeable that the moments when a number of singers did look up the overall sound improved. It really does make a difference.
The remainder of the choir’s pieces for the evening were what were once called novelty items. ‘The owl and the pussy cat’, ‘Teddy Bear’s Picnic’, ‘The Hippopotamus Song’ and ‘I bought me a cat’ were all performed with relish. It was an anticlimax not to hear the women alone singing the hippopotata’s response to her ardent suitor but in all four pieces voices were clearly differentiated. Even the decimated bass section gave us the stirring tararara in Teddy Bears’ Picnic.
The whole evening was accompanied by Paul Jeffrey. Regular supporters of the choir will remember the many years he played at PWCS concerts so it goes without saying that he was a supportive and sympathetic accompanist.
This was the last concert in the choir’s post-pandemic year. It was good to hear such commitment and enthusiasm in such a variety of pieces. The singers evidently enjoyed that variety. We look forward to the season ahead and more dedicated music making.