Gloria in Excelsis - Sacred Choral Music from Italy
Tenor: Peter Davoren
Bass: Jimmy Holliday
Organ: Philip Scriven
Puccini: Messa di Gloria - Kyrie, Gloria (Choir, soloists)
Verdi: Aria from Act III of Don Carlo - Ella giammai m'amo! (Bass Aria)
Puccini: Aria from Act III of Turandot - Nessun Dorma (Tenor aria with sops/altos)
----INTERVAL----
Verdi arr Maurizio Machella: Grand March from Aida (Organ Solo)
Verdi: Pater Noster (Choir)
Puccini: Messa di Gloria - Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei (Choir, soloists)
The sacred met the operatic in this programme of glorious music from Italy, featuring works by Verdi and Puccini. Verdi's simple and poignant Pater Noster for unaccompanied choir was paired with Puccini's Messa di Gloria, which although in the form of a conventional Mass is unashamedly operatic in style, anticipating the later works for which Puccini is best known.
The Puccini Mass also provided a platform for our two distinguished soloists, both members of the BBC Singers, Peter Davoren and Jimmy Holliday. In addition to their parts in the Messa di Gloria, Peter sang Nessun Dorma from Puccini's opera Turandot, and Jimmy performed Filippo's aria, Ella giammai m'amo, from Verdi's Don Carlos.
A further treat was Philip Scriven performing the Grand March from Verdi's Aida on the organ; Phil also accompanied the choir in the Puccini.
As Puccini took his inspiration from Verdi, the master equally of opera and sacred music, there was a fine symmetry to this concert, which was compiled and conducted by Richard Pearce.
See below three podcast interviews with each of: Jimmy and Peter, Phil, and Richard.
Reviews
"The Full Italian by the Waverley Singers!"
The following is an unpublished review of the concert.
Neither the rain, nor the competing attraction of England’s Rugby World Cup semi-final, could keep the audience away from the Waverley Singers concert ‘Gloria in Excelsis’ on Saturday 21 October at St Thomas-on-The Bourne Church in Farnham.
The programme featured music by Verdi and Puccini, highlighting less well-known sacred pieces by two Italian composers both best known for their operatic works. Puccini’s ‘Messa di Gloria’, was divided into two halves, (mirroring the rugby?), with in between Bass, Tenor, and Organ solos and the choir singing Verdi’s ‘Pater Noster’ unaccompanied.
The Puccini allowed the choir to perform at full throttle, especially in the Gloria after which the work is named, but the operatic drama was tempered by moments of deep reverence, such as the soprano passage ‘Qui Tollis’. At 7 minutes of unaccompanied singing the Verdi is more taxing for an amateur choir, but the Waverleys successfully conveyed the deep feeling and passion that lies behind this late work of the great composer.
Jimmy Holliday, Bass, and Peter Davoren, Tenor, are both members of the BBC Singers; happily, just a mention of that group raises a cheer these days. In addition to their parts in the Puccini, they gave us wonderfully delivered solo arias. Jimmy thrilled us with his deep bass notes in the solo ‘Ella giammai m'amo’ (‘She never loved me’) from Verdi’s ‘Don Carlos’. To the delight of the audience - perhaps they were more into football than rugby! - Peter channelled his inner Pavarotti in Puccini’s ‘Nessun Dorma’ (‘None Shall Sleep’)
The Waverley Singers’ regular organ accompanist Philip Scriven displayed his amazing virtuosity in transcribing the orchestral accompaniment to the Puccini mass for organ, then coming down from the organ loft to accompany both soloists on piano, and finally performing the ‘Grand March’ from Verdi’s ‘Aida’.
Richard Pearce, as always, got the best out of the choir through his empathetic conducting and deserves credit for compiling such an imaginative and fulfilling programme, displaying the joy but also the deep religiosity of Italian sacred music.
Gallery
Youtube