Waverley Singers

"Waverley Singers in fine voice"

The following review by Margaret Houston was published in the Farnham Herald

On Saturday, October 23, a large audience gathered in the impressive venue of Guildford Cathedral to support the Waverley Singers in their concert in aid of the St George’s and Surrey Kidney Patients Associations.

Singers and Orchestra, The Brandenburg Baroque Soloists, were conducted with verve by Richard Pearce. The programme of works by the two greats of the baroque period, JS Bach and GF Handel, promised a wonderful evening of music.

Some movements, like the Air on a G string in the Orchestral Suite No. 3 by Bach, would be familiar to all, other gems, like the Qia Fecit Mihi Magna bass solo in the Bach Magnificat, less so.

Handel was represented by two of his anthems written for the coronation of King George II and Queen Caroline, and his Organ Concerto No. 4 in F. The concert began with the anthem, Zadok the Priest, which has been sung at every Coronation since 1727. This was a fine piece for the choir to make a forthright start and dispel any nervousness they might have had climbing up onto the tall staging, which looked rather vertiginous but afforded the audience an excellent view of every member.

The orchestra’s playing was in many instances superb. The velvet sound and delicious phrasing of the cellists, particularly in the Air and in accompanying the vocal soloists, was a delight to hear and watch. The baroque flutes had a covered tone quality that formed a lovely partnership with the warm lower register of Kate Symonds-Joy, the mezzo soloist.

Unfortunately, much of the detail and brightness that one would expect from players on the left side of the orchestra did not come across. This was surely due to the vagaries of the acoustics. Three fine looking baroque trumpets were, sadly, particularly affected. They would have fared better if raised and playing more directly towards the audience.

Ian Farrington on the beautiful sounding Mander ‘Millennium’ cabinet organ flew around the keyboard in his playing of the Handel Concerto. Ladies of the choir were obviously riveted by the display of dexterity in front of them.

The choir was lucky to have five young and very promising vocal soloists, already making their mark in the professional world. Marcus Farnsworth, baritone, appeared the most polished and assured. Thomas Hobbs really made the declamatory Deposuit solo his own. The sopranos Ruth Jenkins and Aoife Miskelly made their ways around the difficult twists and turns of their arias with carefully managed breathing. Bach seems occasionally to forget that breathing is necessary for singers. I would have liked Ruth to have connected more positively with the audience.

The Waverley Singers themselves were 80 strong and their singing was vital and engaged. Bach requires the chorus to be nearly as agile as his soloists and in the many fugal sections each part made the most of their moment. This was a most enjoyable evening.