Waverley Singers

Waverley Singers in fine voice at St Lawrence concert

The following review by John Bawden appeared in the Farnham Herald on 18 December 2015:

Last month the Waverley Singers, under their conductor Richard Pearce, presented a thoughtfully devised programme of choral works inspired in varying degrees by the theme of Remembrance in St Lawrence Church Alton.

The concert began with Haydn’s wonderful Nelson Mass, aka Mass For Troubled Times, described by the eminent Haydn scholar H Robbins Landon as ‘arguably Haydn’s greatest composition’.

This work achieves in places an almost Beethovenian quality, with passages of hushed intensity contrasting with full blooded, dramatic fortes. It therefore demands total commitment from the choir and this it amply received from the excellent Waverley Singers.

Outstanding support was provided by Philip Scriven, who rose magnificently to the considerable challenge of replicating on the organ Haydn’s intricate and colourful orchestral score.

Gemma Summerfield’s powerful soprano voice was more than equal to the virtuosic solo role, though at the beginning of the Gloria and elsewhere she lacked the radiance called for by Haydn’s joyous music.

As one has come to expect from the Waverley Singers, the choruses were sung with admirable dynamic contrast and attention to detail, and Haydn’s contrapuntal intricacies were confidently handled, with generally excellent ensemble between choir and organ.

The other three very fine soloists, Hannah Poulsom (mezzo) Wagner Moreira (tenor) and Huw Montague Rendall (baritone) all sang beautifully, particularly in the eloquent Benedictus, though with the exception of Hannah Poulsom they were too involved in their scores and consequently there was a disappointing lack of communication with the audience.

After the interval the choir tackled William Harris’s superb but demanding unaccompanied anthem Faire Is The Heaven. I had wondered how the singers would manage the many harmonic twists that make this piece so difficult to keep in tune, but I need not have worried. The tuning was largely accurate, phrases were musically wrought and the piece ended with a particularly magical, hushed final chord

Elgar’s For The Fallen, which followed, was aptly dedicated to the victims of the very recent Paris atrocities. Conductor Richard Pearce’s clear and expressive direction gave the work the breadth and vision it demanded, and Gemma Summerfield’s soaring soprano beautifully captured Elgar’s impassioned writing. The choir sang with conviction, though for the only time in the concert there was some suspect tuning.

Next, the audience was treated to a highly entertaining mini-lecture by trumpeter Martin Hurrell, who explained the basic principles of his instrument. His two solos, accompanied by the ever reliable Philip Scriven, were played with great panache and musicality.

John Ireland’s Greater Love Hath No Man is widely regarded as one of the most outstanding examples of 20th century English church music. Gemma Summerfield’s unfamiliarity with her short solo was unfortunate, since otherwise it was a moving performance.

The final item was Vaughan Williams’ Lord Thou Hast Been Our Refuge, a setting of Psalm 90 which combined the chorus, soloists, trumpet and organ and brought a very enjoyable concert to a rousing conclusion.