Waverley Singers

"Singers provide a concert of contrasts"

The following review by Richard Potter was contributed to The Herald newspaper and was published on 2 April 2010.

The Waverley Singers concert at St Andrew’s Church on Sunday 21^st March consisted of two challenging works – though challenging for very different reasons.

In Haydn’s The Seven Last Words of our Saviour on the Cross the soul-searching nature of the text leaves the composer with no choice but to write seven slow movements. Moreover, the work was written before the Romantic composers had introduced their more intense dramatic sounds, so the choir and soloists have to carry us through with the intensity of their delivery and a feeling of real conviction.

The Waverley Singers, accompanied by the Brandenburg Sinfonia, did not let us down. The orchestral introduction placed us firmly in the late 18^th century and provided that liturgical feel which has to be sustained throughout. Most movements thereafter start with soloists singing the words of Christ as they appear in the Gospels. What a treat it was to hear these fine young soloists, Anna-Louise Costello (soprano), Kate Symonds-Joy (contralto), Tim Lawrence (tenor) and Andrew Tipple (bass). Their obvious love of singing, their clarity of sound and deftness of touch drew the listener immediately into the narrative.

The choir, under the direction of Richard Pearce, delivered a confident and controlled sound throughout. The German diction was excellent. The clarity of consonants and consistency of vowel sounds gave authenticity to the performance and showed why one should always perform such a work in the language in which it was written. One can’t help thinking that Haydn wrote the final movement, The earthquake, to escape from the adagio mode. Here at last the choir were released to deliver a more animated sound, beautifully balanced by the energetic playing of the orchestra.

In the second half of the concert, we were treated to Roxanna Panufnik’s “Westminster Mass” in the version accompanied by harp, organ, and tubular bells. Perhaps the only connection with the Haydn is that both works were written to enhance the liturgy of their time. This challenging work requires excellent awareness of pitch throughout and the Waverley Singers mastered it well. It is much to their credit that I found myself focusing on the intricacies of the work rather than on their ability to deliver it.

The work challenges the listener from the start. The frequent bell-like phrases from the choir are often set against sustained and unresolved chords. The tubular bells and organ echo the vocal phrases, sometimes in a seemingly unrelated key. The Waverleys produced moments of real warmth in the complex harmonies with just enough moments of resolution to relax the ear. The overall effect was to give a refreshing perspective on the familiar words.

The short introduction to the Gloria leads into a more contemplative setting than you get from most composers. Panufnik wanted to reflect the “glow” of the love of God whilst retaining the “impulsive rhythms and a regular pitch patterns” of church bells. The Sanctus and Benedictus pick up the pace and energy levels, particularly with the rapidly repeated Hosannas which drive us relentlessly forward to a dramatic climax a few bars before the end of the section. The good rapport between Richard Pearce and his choir gave us convincing changes of pace and mood. There are several difficult and exposed entries for parts of the choir and these were generally handled very well.

The short Memorial Acclamation and Amen draw us back towards the Agnus Dei, the almost lethargic style of which focuses on the suffering of Christ in order to redeem us. Only in the very last phrase “grant us peace” are we allowed to feel more comfortable. Yet even here, the final chord does not quite resolve.

It is a pity that the church was not packed out for this concert. I really enjoyed the contrast within the programme. The Haydn should be sung more often and I suspect the Panufnik is well on its way to becoming a modern classic.