Waverley Singers

"Waverley Singers Concert, Saturday 25^th October 2014"

The following review, by John Bawden, was contributed to, we assume The Herald newspaper; we are seeking to establish whether it was published!

On Saturday, 25^th October, in St. Andrews Garrison Church, Aldershot, the Waverley Singers and Brandenburg Sinfonia, conducted by Richard Pearce, presented three attractive and contrasting works from England, Germany, and France.

The concert began with Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs, the first four of which focus chiefly on the baritone soloist, with the choir playing a subsidiary role. The success of the performance therefore depends very largely on the soloist. On Saturday we were all privileged to hear a quite exceptional singer, Henry Neill, whose outstanding vocal qualities were matched by his sensitive interpretation and total engagement with the audience. His performance of Love bade me welcome was simply superb. Without doubt this is a name to watch. Though on the face of it relatively straightforward for the chorus, this work nevertheless tests choral ensemble, intonation and rhythmic precision. The choir rose well to these challenges in the climaxes of the piece, especially in the joyous final song, Antiphon, though they were a little less convincing in the quieter, sustained, choral sections of the second and third movements.

The Mystical Songs were followed by Telemann’s wonderfully exuberant Concerto for Three Trumpets, Timpani and Strings. His music is little heard these days, but this Concerto demonstrated why he was so highly regarded in his day. The Brandenburg Sinfonia played stylishly, and with great poise and vitality, though there were a few uncharacteristic lapses of intonation from the strings – not something one expects to hear from this fine ensemble. The three trumpeters were excellent, bringing a thrilling, bright tone to their virtuosic solo parts, but why did they not receive a credit in the programme? Regrettably, there were no details at all of the orchestra.

After a rather short first half, the concert concluded with Duruflé’s superb Requiem of 1947. After the reflective Introit, the choir delivered a really exciting Kyrie, surely one of Duruflé’s most inspired writings. Both they and the three trumpets were outstanding in the demanding Offertorium, and Philip Scriven, who had earlier accompanied the Vaughan Williams so ably, now negotiated the mercurial organ part in the Sanctus with consummate skill. Hannah Poulsom possesses a fine mezzo voice, and her Pie Jesu was truly radiant. In the Lux Aeterna the fluid unaccompanied sections were beautifully sung by the choir, and the hushed final phrase was really magical. Henry Neill was again excellent in his two solo sections. The spacious final movement, In Paradisum, is Duruflé’s musical vision of eternity, and though the sopranos didn’t quite manage to convey the necessary transcendent, angelic quality in their long, exposed phrases, the concluding section for full choir was excellently sung. Throughout the concert Richard Pearce directed with clarity and insight.