Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir Reviews.

 

Anticipation was well rewarded 

Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir

Wakefield Cathedral, Saturday December 19 2009

 

As extra chairs were hurriedly placed in the aisle to accommodate latecomers among another full house, there was a palpable sense of anticipation in the air.

But then there always is for the Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir’s Christmas concert, which has much to do with knowing this anticipation will be well rewarded.

And rewarded it was last Saturday, another marvellous occasion which showed this always-impressive choir at its best and filled the cathedral with festive spirit.

Tradition dictates O come, O come Emmanuel should open proceedings, giving voices, organ and brass ensemble an early chance to shine, after which everything from the plaintive soulfulness of The Shepherd’s Carol to a raucous arrangement of The Twelve Days Of Christmas were handled with seemingly effortless aplomb.

Another tradition of these concerts is a guest appearance by singers from a local junior school, in this case Wakefield Girls’ High School with its Years 5 and 6 choir, conducted by Jane Ratcliffe.

Their four songs, well-chosen to suit the abilities of young choristers, charmed the audience, especially the words-and-action finalé to Gabriel.

Many Christmas songs lend themselves well to singing unaccompanied and although I wasn’t enamoured by Martin Shaw’s arrangement of the Coventry Carol, I can’t praise too highly the superb balance and sensitivity with which the Phil’ delivered it.

A choir, of course, owes much to its conductor and here the always-animated Andrew Padmore was in more ebullient form than ever, both in his extrovert yet utterly precise handling of the singers and in his compere role – the latter recalling the verbal gymnastics of Leonard Sachs in his Good Old Day pomp.

I might have been shivering by the time I’d walked back to the car but the warmth of this occasion will persist much longer in the memory than that.

“Same time, same place next year?” I asked at the conclusion of last year’s review. There’s really no need to repeat the question this time round. 

DAVID PICKERSGILL

 

‘Highs and Lows’ for The Phil

Elgar – The Music Makers, Rutter - Magnificat

Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir

Dewsbury Town Hall, Saturday November 14 2009 

THE weeks leading up to Christmas are always the busiest time of the year for choirs, as members of the Yorkshire Philharmonic can testify.

The Phil’s Christmas season traditionally starts with a mid- November visit to DewsburyTown Hall, which this year saw it performing Elgar’s moving Music Makers and Rutter’s Magnificat. Choir chairman Richard Haigh said: “The audience was smaller than usual but the performance was no less powerful. Elgar’s piece is exceedingly difficult with numerous key, dynamic and tempo changes. The Magnificat is a complete contrast with samba and rumba rhythms.” However, conductor Andrew Padmore had schooled his charges to perfection and they were clearly on song, as were the evening’s guests. “The Amici Ensemble absolutely excelled themselves,” said Richard. “Likewise contralto soloist Gaynor Keeble, whose sensuous tones were the cream on top of a luscious evening of English music.”

If the Dewsbury concert was a case of hitting the high notes, then

things will be somewhat lower – 450 feet or thereabouts – when

members of the choir sing outside Santa’s underground grotto at the National Coal Mining Museum.

They will be performing between 2pm and 4pm on Sundays

December 6, 13 and 20, though you’ll probably need to book in

advance as part of the arrangements for the grotto.  

David Pickersgill Wakefield Express

 

Yorkshire Voices triumph again

Harrogate Choral Society and the Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir

Jenkins - The Armed Man

Fanshawe - African Sanctus

Leeds Town Hall Saturday, September 26 2009

Harrogate Choral Society and the Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir as ‘Yorkshire Voices’, under the direction of Dr Andrew Padmore gave a rousing concert at Leeds Town Hall on Saturday 26th September 2009.

The joint choirs performed ‘The Armed Man’ by Karl Jenkins, and ‘African Sanctus’ by David Fanshawe, ably supported by Maureen Brathwaite (Soprano), The Backbeat Percussion Quartet led by Simone Robello and the Mighty Zulu Nation Dancers.

‘The Armed Man – A Mass For Peace’ was composed in response to a commission from the Royal Armouries to commemorate the new millennium. The introduction of the piece saw the choir marching on mass, a very effective and evocative start to the concert before the sound of massed voices delivered the opening ‘L’Homme Arme’. This was followed by the powerful and atmospheric Muslim Call to Prayers delivered by Ammar Almaghrabi (Muezzin) from Saudi Arabia who is currently studying for his Ph.D at Bradford University. The choir delivered a very competent and rousing performance of the mass and although I would have preferred to hear them supported by full orchestra, the Yorkshire Voices Instrumental Ensemble did a sterling job of accompanying the work. As usual Andrew Padmore made sure that every attention to detail was observed. The choir responded well to his direction, and were let down only by some poor cello intonation in the difficult but well known ‘Benedictus’ movement. The work concluded with the choir singing the beautiful setting of words from The Revelation to John a moving and well controlled end to the first half.

The ‘African Sanctus’ by Fanshawe is a combination of traditional mass juxtaposed with recordings of traditional African music completed by Fanshawe over thirty years ago. The simple driving force of the piece is one of Praise and a firm belief in One Music – One God. To this end, the second half of the concert saw the choir change their traditional concert dress to the bright colours associated with Africa, and saw Andrew Padmore wear a traditional African smock. I felt that the choir had been waiting for this point in the programme all night, and their enthusiasm for this work was evident from the first note. The rousing and joyful opening, masses of percussion from Backbeat and the Mighty Zulu Nation Dancers, who all wearing traditional dress, appeared through the audience and onto the stage to perform their famous ‘Bwala’ dance. The audience were immediately drawn in to a true celebration, and the rhythm and exuberance of the performance was absolutely contagious. I have attended a number of concerts given by the choir this year, but I have to say that they surpassed themselves on this occasion and made my first live experience of this work a really memorable one. The rest of the audience obviously felt the same and it almost turned into a party at the end of the work, when the choir delivered an encore and a number of the audience including children were encouraged to join the dancers on stage. This was a great performance and I was impressed by Andrew Padmore’s command of the many diverse aspects of the performance and equally, the way that the choir responded to his direction. This evening made it clear why there is no substitute for live choral music, especially when delivered by the Harrogate Choral Society, the Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir and Andrew Padmore. Thank you.

Nick Garside

2008/9 Concert Season press reports

Glorious, unforgettable.

Haydn Anniversary Concert

Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir

Wakefield Cathedral, Saturday June 13 2009

THERE are routine concerts and recitals, some of which are readily forgettable, but the Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir’s performance of four Haydn masterpieces to mark the bicentenary of the composer’s death was nothing less than a true musical extravaganza that is sure to live on in the memory of those who experienced it.

The first half of the evening was devoted to the inspired Maria Theresa Mass which allowed the choir, despite the complexities of the score and the changes of dynamics within it, to give full voice to the intensity of Haydn’s music. Superb soloists Alistair Ollerenshaw (bass), Simon Allatt (tenor), Melissa Lunn (mezzo), and Lucy Morton (soprano) underlined the operatic style of the mass with consummate technical skill. Their deeply entreating ‘miserere nobis’ of the Gloria and ‘dona nobis pacem’ of the keychanging Agnus Dei were heart-felt expressions of man’s inherent need of divine help.

Both in the short C major Te Deum and the offertory Insanae Et Vanae Curae the choir fully exploited the opportunities to show its varying vocal colours with sections of pronounced musical contrast which ranged from dynamism to lyricism. With a seamless blend of voices the choir produced glorious, uplifting harmonies, and its vocal power almost raised the roof in the fugal climax of the former work.

Soloist Huw Morgan thrilled the audience with a masterful performance of Haydn’s E flat Trumpet Concerto. His freshness and lightness of tone, especially in the final captivating rondo, were marked features of his virtuosity.

Haydn may well have died 200 years ago but can we really call a composer dead when his music lives on to uplift the spirit and touch the lives of generations across the centuries?

The Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir together with the excellent Amici Ensemble, organ accompanist Thomas Moore and guest soloists under the authoritative baton of maestro Andrew Padmore combined to bring Haydn’s music to life with great drama and sensitivity. The rapturous applause and even boot-stamping heard at the end were highly eloquent of the audience’s unbridled delight.

ROBERT COWAN

 

 Praise heaped on choir's concert

Jenkins - Stabat Mater

Rutter - Feel the Spirit

Wakefield Cathedral Saturday April 4 2009

Members of the Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir could be forgiven for giving themselves a collective pat on the back following the success of their latest concert.

The aftermath of their performance of Karl Jenkins’ Stabat Mater and John Rutter’s Feel The Spirit in Wakefield Cathedral earlier this month saw a welter of congratulations heading their way, including one from Leeds College of Music principal Philip Meaden. He wrote: “Thank you for a thoroughly enjoyable evening. The performances were a credit to all concerned and they were given with such evident commitment and enjoyment. The Jenkins was a revelation and the Rutter a splendid counterpoint to it.”

Choir chairman Richard Haigh said: “The choir members were extremely confident in performance which transmitted itself to the audience who were moved by the overall atmosphere of the two pieces as we moved into Holy Week”

He continued: “This confidence arises from the excellent rehearsal scheduling by Andrew Padmore which ensured every one was thoroughly versed in their parts.”

Andrew himself was keener to credit the choir, saying: “As soon as we got under way with the rehearsal on Saturday I knew that all was just going to fall into place. “Both soloists were eulogising over the choir, who once again really brought out the passion and joy in the music.”

In the first half of the concert soloist Belinda Sykes captured the mood of Jenkins’ arrangement of Stabat Mater brilliantly by passionately conveying the angst of Mary, [Mother of Jesus], at the time of the crucifixion, by the use of the Aramaic languages and by playing the hauntingly fascinating Duduk.

The second half of the programme was devoted to Rutter’s Feel the Spirit with soloist Melanie Marshall. With this change of mood of the music she once again thrilled the choir and audience with her sensitivity, joy and exuberance in the varying seven negro spiritual songs. Her performance resulted in the rare occurrence of a cathedral audience demanding an encore, resulting in Melanie conducting the audience through a repeat of the final chorus ‘When The Saints Go Marching In’ much to the amusement of regular conductor Andrew Padmore.

However it was Andrew’s overall direction of choir and orchestra which ensured that once again the audience went away feeling well satisfied and uplifted.

 

The ’Phil gets Christmas off with a bang!

Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir

Christmas Carol Concert

Wakefield Cathedral Saturday December 20 2008

CHRISTMAS, the BBC smugly likes to declare, begins with the first notes of Once In Royal David’s City in its broadcast of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College, Cambridge. Several hundred people in Wakefield would beg to differ, for they know the haunting soprano strains of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel are the official announcement of a feast of music which kick-starts their festive celebrations. Nothing puts a seasonal spring in the step better than the annual appointment with the Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir on the last Saturday before December 25. That’s why tickets for this year’s concert sold out the day the posters arrived from the printer and why Wakefield Cathedral resounded with long and loud applause at the conclusion of another top-quality treat.The applause was thoroughly justified, for the choir was on fine form throughout a well-chosen programme in which everyone would have heard something they knew well and something new to them. Highlights were many: the aforementioned opener, Tomorrow Shall be my Dancing Day, conductor Andrew Padmore’s arrangement of Away in a Manger and a boisterous take on The Twelve Days of Christmas. And while critics might decry John Rutter’s Christmas carol production line, his matchless grasp of a good tune and a killer harmony were beautifully demonstrated with I Wonder As I Wander and Candlelight Carol.

Although a couple of the arrangements chosen for them were, to say the least, ambitious for a village primary school choir, the singers from Carlton Juniors nevertheless tackled them with gusto and, in their two spots, contributed fully to the evening’s enjoyment.

Music as well as voices always plays an important part in these concerts, with a sterling effort from Tom Moore on the cathedral organ and some enthusiastic work by the brass quintet, especially a mischievous medley of Jingle Bells and Deck the Hall.

Same time, same place next year? Few of the audience – nor I – would turn down the invitation.

DAVID PICKERSGILL – WAKEFIELD EXPRESS

 

'Phil even impresses its own

soloists

"Requiem"

Dewsbury Town Hall November 15 2008

“Aren’t they a marvellous choir?” asked the man who caught up with us on route back to the car following another ‘Phil tour-de-force. We could only confirm his sentiment - but not until he remarked “that’s the first time I’ve sung with them” and I realised it was guest bass John Cunningham did the full significance of his observation become apparent. For if a man who has sung for the English National Opera and Opera North, in the Albert Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall, was so impressed by the Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir, then there seems little else I need add. However, to do so would be to ignore what for most of the audience was the highlight of the evening: an effortlessly virtuoso performance of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Major by Emma Johnson which prompted thunderous applause and saw her called back twice before the clamour subsided. In a more than usually varied programme, the choir once again exhibited the full range of its peerless capabilities, including the sopranos’ beautiful rendition of Brahms’ Ave Maria though it was during the latter movements of Mozart’s Requiem that its full power was thrillingly evident. This Requiem is a piece, in which the soloists work mainly as a quartet, something they did with consummate skill, though contralto Margaret McDonald deserves singling out for the depth and range exhibited here and earlier in Alto Rhapsody. If this performance was representative of what is to come from the ‘Phil then a vintage season lies ahead.

David Pickersgill, Wakefield Express.

 

2007/8 Concert Season press reports

"Brass & Voices"

Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir with Rothwell Temperance Band

Wakefield Cathedral Saturday July 12 2008

Since arriving into Leeds (temporarily) earlier this year I've attended four opera performances, just one out of town in Clare College Cambridge and several concerts one as far afield as the Snape Maltings concert hall.  Without doubt what I heard last night was the best musical event on the calendar for me since the beginning of 2008.  The enthusiasm of the choir and the technical skills of the band particularly in combination were just simply superb.  The evening started with a personal favourite admirably introduced on a cordless microphone from the back of the choir stalls by Graham Heley.  I enjoyed listening again to his powerful Yorkshire accent and a well researched note of introduction to every single choir item. Zadok the Priest, surely on everyone's short-list of favourites, was stunning and there's a moment at the end when the basses rarely strike all the semiquaver notes accurately but they did and the sound resounded throughout the cathedral.  But it was the soprano line that astonished me most – more about that later.  I'm always anxious for the organist with his long orchestral introduction but Thomas Moore, as deputy musical director of the cathedral, really knows his instrument well and shone throughout.  He shares with me the experience of Leicester Cathedral as a choirboy where as I seem to recall the organ console is very distant from the singers up in the gallery at the back.  Not so in Wakefield and Tom was in the midst of the band seating. The Mozart Ave Verum brought tears to my eyes but Faure's Cantique de Jean Racine was very special indeed with an almost stately tempo portraying an ethereal and unearthly calm. It suggested that death as the ulitmate purpose of life was really a reward. I sang under John Rutter in Venice in 1978 when he wrote the next piece and he would have marvelled at the delivery of his 'Gaelic Blessing'. The music highlights a personal philosophy of an agnostic with a few worries.

The band didn't waste any time getting into concert mode.  Their delivery of the fanfare Olympics and the two solo players in 'Brillante' lived up to the title of their piece. I never before realised the virtuoso qualities of the euphonium which I've always likened to an elephant in the middle of a crowd of 64 foot organ pipes.  What a feat of magic and we should thank our lucky stars for the introduction of valves into the brass family of instruments!

The choir returned to combine forces immediately before the interval and invoked the subject of death in the midst of life but with a vengeance.  Dylan Thomas's rendering of the words was convincingly portrayed by Ben Olivers' music and matched the virtuoso qualities of the band well.  Fortunately tuning is not a problem for the singers but certainly could have been in matching the text of Death is nothing at all with its rather less appealing music.  I used these words after the funeral of my 105 year old mother last year and felt they are better read out verbally or just seen as a card purchased from a stationery store.

Jesu, joy of man's desiring needs no introduction but I would have enjoyed a second verse of such a familiar piece to rivet my attention even further.  Mendelssohn's Hear my prayer under the leadership of 11 year old James Micklethwaite was yet another revelation. I was never aware that the human voice could be made to sound so sophisticated at such an early age and clearly Andrew Padmore has not only achieved wonders with James but with his choir members throughout Yorkshire.  We need teachers of this calibre throughout the musical world.

The band returned to emphasise that America is one big Disneyland with its cardboard cartoon image – pretty realistic if you live there (as I did for two years) and rapidly spreading elsewhere alongside the hamburger.  But the quality of the playing was quite remarkable though I did wish at one moment for my BOSE noise-reducing headphones. The choir reacted on stage to the terrific rhythm of the playing. There's certainly no likelihood of the band experiencing a shortage of players with the quality and high standard that they most successfully achieved last night.

But the climax of the evening was still to come.  Sweet and low continued the lilt of the previous band numbers  but My love dwelt in a Northern Land and The Bluebird were quite remarkable for the fine intonation by one of the finest of soprano lines.  I've always thought of Stanford's Bluebird having a soloist intone the top line but the choir soprano line managed this most admirably. I prefer The Lost Chord to The Long Day Closes by Sir Arthur Sullivan but one could not fault the delivery of the piece.  I recall Sir David Willcocks saying at a 2001 rehearsal of Carmina Burana in the Albert Hall, 'I think the ladies over 55 might volunteer not to sing that particular high passage'.  Not so in the Philharmonic Choir – all the glorious sopranos were just fine.

The concert closed with a rousing rendering of the Chorus from the Hebrew Slaves by Verdi.  Unbeatable!  In fact the whole evening was excellent value for money and included a glass of wine at the interval.  The collection of bishops present (there must be a collective word for them like flock) will return to their respective seats and positively applaud what can be done by such a magical band and resounding choral forces just five weeks after singing the Verdi Requiem in Leeds Town Hall where I too was privileged to be singing with this truly thrilling choir.

The programme (a bargain at £2 a copy) was elaborately produced and helped me better to appreciate the musical forces at the disposal of West Yorkshire outside the immediate vicinity of Leeds and Bradford.

Carl Browning

 

Feel the power in Requiem

Verdi’s ‘Requiem’ Leeds Town Hall Saturday June 7 2008

DESCRIBED by Brahms as ‘a work of genius’, Verdi’s Requiem is a sacred work which is often said to contain some of the loudest unamplified music ever written.

And there were times during last Saturday’s performance in Leeds Town Hall when I thought the beautifully ornate, vaulted ceiling of the capacious auditorium might be rent asunder in true biblical fashion by the titanic surges in volume projected by the musicians below.

This deeply moving yet stirring Requiem, amazingly written by an agnostic composer, is more dramatic than devotional, and more operatic than liturgical — features which were exploited to wonderful effect by the 300-strong Yorkshire Voices made up of Harrogate Choral Society and The Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir with Leeds Met Singers, accomplished soloists, and Manchester Camerata orchestra.

The orchestra’s timpanist Janet Fulton and percussionist Mike Harper were pivotal in their vigorous contributions to this musical drama staged between Heaven and Hell, and whether it was in the fiery dies irae, the elegiac lacrymosa, or the deeply entreating Libera Me, Naomi Harvey (soprano), Gaynor Keeble (mezzo soprano), Bonaventura Bottone (tenor), and Ben Davies (bass) lent finely-honed vocal expression to man’s plea to Omnipotence for salvation beyond death.

Conducted with great authority yet sensitivity by maestro Andrew Padmore, this immensely powerful performance of Verdi’s Requiem, perhaps more a mass for the living than the dead, was greeted on conclusion with sustained, rapturous applause and is sure to be remembered by the delighted audience as one of the high lights of the year’s musical calendar.

ROBERT COWAN

 

Choristers rise to an important occasion.

Harrogate Choral Society - Yorkshire Voices.

THE Verdi Requiem is a massive undertaking for any choir. On Saturday, June 6 the Harrogate Choral Society joined forces with the Wakefield based Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir and the Leeds Met Singers to give a performance of this great work at the Leeds Town Hall. And with what success!

The male voices benefited from the greater numbers enabling them, for once, to match the sopranos and altos.

The thunderous sounds of the Dies lrae stirred the well-filled hall, but no less impressive was the delicacy and precision of the quieter moments in the Libera Me and the interplay of the eight parts in the Hosannah.

These choristers rarely have the opportunity to sing with an orchestra of the first rank and they were particularly fortunate to have the Manchester Camerata in such splendid form. 

The string playing excelled, most of all in the Lux aeterna where the soft shimming sounds so beautifully portray celestial serenity and, of course, who can resist the trumpet calls and the big bass drum as they summon up divine judgment!

The Requiem gives such prominence to the soloists and makes such vocal and dra matic demands on them, that it requires singers of international standing and, given the character of the work, prefer ably with operatic experience.

We were not to be disappointed. The tenor Bonaventura Bottone, a veteran of the English National Opera, sang eloquently with a true Italianate timbre; The warm bass voice of Ben Davies rolled out above the orchestra. And there was a spiritual quality in the performance of mezzo Gaynor Keeble, as she drew inspiration from the words, as well as the musical line.

Naomi Harvey, the soprano, was a late replacement for the indisposed Lynne Dawson and if she had difficulties projecting some of the lower lying recitative-like passages, she was able to spin out some exquisitely soft high notes, her voice melding well with those of the other soloists.

This performance was, above all, a triumph for the conductor Andrew Padmore.

Quite apart from the meticulous preparation of the choirs, his assured interpretation of the piece combined excitement with inner strength and calm reflection. 

Anthony Ogus

 

Yorkshire Voices

Town Hall, Leeds

David Denton

THE debut of a large chorus is a rare event, and with almost 300 voices on stage, Yorkshire Voices exceeded hopes and expectations in Verdi’s Requiem.

Drawn from three local choral groups, the hushed opening told of scrupulous preparation; the sheer weight of tone in the Dies Irae was awesome. The spacious view of the conductor, Andrew Padmore, was a valid and devotional approach that had the virtue of unravelling textures in the Town Ha11’s unhelpful acoustic, his more virile moments finding his singers alert and agile.

Understaffed in the lower strings, the modest forces of the Manchester Camerata gave spirited support, weighing in with forceful brass in the dramatic passages, but were too easily overpowered.

The soprano, Naomi Harvey, has a most beautiful voice, saving up sufficient vocal stamina for a final desperate plea to the Lord. The much-experienced tenor, Bonaventura Bottone, brought a touch of Italy.

Yorkshire Voices and the Manchester Camerata in Verdi’s ‘Requiem’ at Leeds Town Hall

There was a buzz of anticipation in the corridors and foyers of Leeds Town Hall last Saturday night as the audience made their way into the auditorium for this performance of Verdi’s opera in sacred vestments’ - as his Requiem’ has sometimes been unkindly dubbed.

The lines of choristers filled the orchestra rises behind the Manchester Camerata - over 300 of them - the combined forces of Harrogate Choral Society, Wakefield-based Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir and the Leeds Met Singers.

All were united for the first time as Yorkshire Voices - brainchild of Andrew Padmore, music director of the Harrogate and Wakefield choirs and conductor of this performance.

And what a glorious sound the massed choirs made! Rarely can Verdi’s terrifying setting of the Dies irae have been unleashed with such force and with such spine tingling ferocity, even in Leeds Town Hall - the setting for many distinguished performances of Verdi’s masterpiece.

But it was more than just the volume of sound and refinement of tone that places this new body of singers in the ranks of Yorkshire’s finest.

The unanimity of attack was equally impressive and so were the articulation of the text, shading of dynamics and precise pitching of notes - qualities abundantly evident in the unaccompanied section of the Libera me.

Soprano Naomi Harvey (stepping in for an indisposed Lynne Dawson), mezzo soprano Gaynor Keeble, tenor Bonaventura Bottone and bass Ben Davies made up a fine, integrated quartet of soloists. Manchester Camerata provided a richly coloured orchestral backdrop with some incandescent brass and sweet-toned woodwind.

The strings had to compensate for their lack of numbers by focusing on volume rather than warmth or depth of sound. A string section of 28 players is really not enough for Verdi’s Requiem in this space.

Andrew Padmore displayed mastery of the structure of this vast work, tending towards slower tempi to emphasise scale and grandeur.

In fact, at over 90 minutes running time, this was one of the longest performances of the Requiem that I can recall.

A question of interpretation of course but I am more critical of the unfortunate decision to insert an interval of 25 minutes mid-way through - such a pity to interrupt the flow and the concentration of both musicians and audience.

10:47am Thursday 12th June 2008

By Geoffrey Mogridge 

 

Yorkshire Phil success out of their comfort zone

Wakefield Cathedral Saturday March 8 2008

Classical Jazz

“If that was a performance when you are ‘out of your comfort zone’, then you should leave it more often!!”. This comment has been repeated so many times since the concert on March 8th which included a brilliant performance of Will Todd’s Mass in Blue. Even Will Todd himself said “What a fantastic evening, it was the best performance ever by a choir of this size”, and in discussion afterwards mentioned that he would like to write something specifically for the Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir. The whole aspect of March 8th was different from any other concert the choir has ever promoted and that in ‘daring’ to do it, it was a resounding success!

The number of singers on stage was the largest ever, there were extremely talented groups of musicians, both amateur [the talented teenagers from Wakefield Grammar Schools Swing Foundation Big Band], and professional [John Helliwell’s quartet - Crème Anglaise]. The audience was not only one of the largest seen in the Cathedral [with the exception of Christmas], but the whole concept of the concert attracted a new audience.

As one member of the audience inferred – “what comfort zone – it was merely a ‘different’ zone, and the way choir members took it upon themselves to learn a piece of music as difficult as Mass in Blue in just over two months is great credit to all the singers, conductor and accompanist”.

Here’s a quote from the Wakefield Express;

‘This jazz-based interpretation of a traditional Latin mass is far removed from the classical [in both senses of the word] choral repertoire and the Yorkshire Phil’s decision to take it on spoke volumes not only about the choir’s skill but also its confidence in that ability’.

It is this kind of performance which keeps the Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir at the forefront of the choral world. By aiming to leave people wondering ‘what might be round the corner’, it ensures that they are a ‘must see’ choir!!

 

Alexander makes his mark with the Phil

Dewsbury Town Hall Saturday November 17 2007

Last Night of the Proms

It would have taken a singer of outstanding ability to stand out from the quality line-up brought together by the Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir for its inaugural Last Night of the Proms - and in Alexander Grove the audience came face-to-face with just such a talent.

The young Manchester-based tenor has spent time studying in Italy and it showed in his powerful presence and mannerisms, while his voice as exhibited on such classics as O Sole Mio and Funiculi  Funiculà would surely meet the approval of that nation's most demanding audiences.

In lauding Grove, however, let me take nothing away from the contribution of his fiancée Louise Sjostedt, as good a soprano as has shared a stage with the 'Phil' in recent years, while the choir itself once again demonstrated its consummate versatility, be it while belting out Rule Britannia or dextrously handling the complexities of Borodin's Polovtsian Dances.

It was also a pleasure to hear regular accompanists the Amici Ensemble bolstered to a 40-strong complement, which proved more than capable of doing justice to the music, not least a delightful take on the Pizzicato Polka.

The whole point of attending a Last Night of the Proms is, of course, knowing just what you'll be hearing and it's fair to say there was nothing left out, from the rousing opening Zadok The Priest to the closing Jerusalem via Rule Britannia, the Hallelujah Chorus and all points between.

To be honest I find the laid-on-with-a-trowel jollity and audience participation of the Proms finalé at best irritating and at worst downright embarrasing to watch on television, but by the end tonight even I was sufficiently swept up by the spirit of the occasion to join in. "And did those feet in ancient times..." You know the rest!

David Pickersgill - Wakefield Express

 

2006/7 Concert Season press reports

Capacity audience.

Wakefield Cathedral Saturday July 14 2007

Brass and Voices

It was a delight to see a capacity audience at Wakefield Cathedral for the recent ‘Brass & Voices’ concert.  Bringing its 2007 season to a close, the Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir were joined by the Rothwell Temperance Band for a wonderfully varied programme of music, encompassing the fullest range of musical dynamic and style. 

The Yorkshire Philharmonic, guided by its Conductor and Artistic Director Andrew Padmore, started the evening with Handel’s ‘Zadok the Priest’.  The impact of the Choir’s fortissimo entry made all the more poignant by the preceding subtle crescendo produced on the organ by accompanist Thomas Moore.  Followed by the contrasting ‘Ave Verum’ by Mozart, the Choir demonstrated its ability to quickly adjust to the subtle balance and timbre demanded. 

On the heels of Andrew Padmore’s direction of Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine and Brahms How Lovely are thy Dwellings, David Roberts took over the baton to lead the Rothwell Temperance Band in the rousing ‘Fanfare and Jubiloso’ by Curnow.  Through the music of Phillip Sparke’s ‘Madrigalum’ and Eric Ball’s ‘High Peak’, anticipation grew as the programme moved towards the World Premiere of a composition by young composer Benjamin Oliver. 

Born in 1981, Ben grew up in Chatham, Kent, before studying for his MMus in composition at Leeds University, graduating with distinction in 2005.  He has continued to study composition at the University of Sussex, but has maintained links with Yorkshire through the support of the Performing Rights Society Foundation and Making Music, the national organisation which supports and champions voluntary music.  As a part of Making Music’s ‘Adopt a Composer’ scheme, Ben worked with the Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir to create a new work for choir and brass. 

Along with many others in the audience, I was eager to hear Ben’s creation.  Written in two distinct sections, this composition was challenging on a number of levels, for both performers and listeners.  The performance challenges were notably those of balance between brass band and chorus (including solo soprano), whispering technique and close dissonance in the vocal parts, and exposed percussion playing requiring the utmost precision in delivery.  To my mind, challenges met by a well directed performance which required great control and musical awareness of all the performers. 

The quality of performance allowed the challenge for the audience to exude from the work itself.  The first section takes its stanza from Dylan Thomas’ ‘Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night’.  The rhythmically descriptive music matches its text lines of ten syllables, cleverly moulded into periodic legato phrases appearing behind a more agitated line.  The percussion is a dominant feature of the scoring, yet remains complementary to both the text and the brass band texture.  The brass is not simply a passive accompaniment though, rather it provides a binding matrix through which the vocal and percussion lines weave to create the required texture.  The text for the second section is the poem ‘Death Is Nothing At All’ by Canon Henry Scott Holland.  The connecting theme of death is treated quite differently here; more conventional in both structure and tonality, but no less respectfully.  The composer creates a sense of noble calm during the opening bars, moving to a more dance-like section with the chorus being more dominant and the brass taking a mainly accompanying role.  The intention of making us think of our lost loved ones with affection rather than sadness is supported by the transition into a calmer mood, encouraged by the solo soprano, who is joined by the choir to conclude this thought provoking work. 

The works of Elgar, [Give unto the Lord], Bach/Gounod, Parry [I was Glad], Shostakovich and Khachaturian were also included in the rich mix of music during this very entertaining concert, with brass band and choir combining to perform a finale of Verdi’s ‘Anvil Chorus’, (which seemed more marching band tempo than expected), followed by a sensitive performance of Fanshawe’s ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ to provide an apt conclusion.

Choir exploits dramatic possibilities to the full.

Huddersfield Town Hall Saturday June 23 2007

Elijah - Mendelssohn

Duruflé’s Requiem and Stainer’s Crucifixion

Since its premiere in 1846, Mendelssohn’s Elijah has been one of the twin pillars of the English choral society repertoire. In some respects it is a more satisfactory vehicle for big choirs than the other pillar. After all, Elijah was initially composed with large scale nineteenth century forces in mind, which was not actually the case with Handel’s Messiah.

Arguably too, the choir is more integral to the drama in Mendelssohn’s great work, and it is also inarguable that it has some writing of immensely stirring sonority when choir, orchestra and organ are combined. 

The Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir, conducted by Andrew Padmore, with the excellent Amici Ensemble and organist Thomas Moore, exploited the dramatic possibilities to the full. The choir achieves a very high standard, and the fact that it includes some fine voices was emphasised when a group of singers from within the ranks combined for a beautifully sung quartet of angels. 

In addition there was a first rate team of soloists, headed by the experienced Glenville Hargreaves, who sang with great authority despite having to overcome some hay fever hoarseness. The contralto Gaynor Keeble also made a strong impression, not least in the air ‘Woe Unto Them’. Soprano Kate Valentine sang with a wonderful clarity of tone and was brimming with confidence, we will all remember her ‘first’ Elijah! 

The days when Huddersfield Town Hall would be packed to hear a performance of Elijah seem to have passed – at least when the choir is from ‘out of town’ – for the attendance was rather slight. But whether audiences come or stay away, performing standards in the region remain high. 

William Marshall - Huddersfield Examiner

2005/6 Concert Season press reports