Review of recent concerts

Christmas Classics - 1st December 2001

Reigate & Redhill Choral Society performed their 'Christmas Classics' Concert on Saturday December 1st to a capacity audience at Reigate Park Church. Dispensing with the more traditional carols, the Society instead presented a challenging and ambitious programme, which demanded a high level of technical skill from both singers and orchestra.

The concert opened with the lively and celebratory 'Hodie Christus natus est' by Andrew Carter, with Peter Farrant, the Society's Music Director conducting and accompaniment from Charles Thompson on organ. The choir performed with confidence and enthusiasm and this was an excellent 'Fanfare' style introduction to the rest of the evening

The mood then became more reflective with the orchestra, Surrey ProMusica, performing Albinoni's popular and moving 'Adagio'.

The remainder of the first half was taken up with Vivaldi's 'Gloria in D'. This is not the setting that most of us are familiar with, but a version that Vivaldi wrote much earlier. It has many similarities in structure however, with choir and soloists taking up different sections, and movements contrasting in tempo, orchestration, style and mood.

The choir at times had difficulty sustaining the emotional intensity of the piece, particularly in the long development of the 'et in terra pax'. However the overall effect was well achieved with a good attack in the opening 'Gloria' and sensitive balancing of the voice parts as each picked up the 'Cum Sancto Spiritu' motif in the final fugue.

A special mention must also go to the two Soprano soloists, Katherine Bond and Elizabeth Weisberg, who performed with particular skill and vivacity in the 'Laudamus Te'.

The second half opened with Taverner's beautiful setting of Blake's poem 'The Lamb'. The reverent and 'mystical' feel of this piece is perhaps more easily achieved by a smaller chamber choir. However the opening soprano melody retained simplicity and purity of tone and the choir as a whole produced a good ensemble sound with both intensity and warmth.

The final piece of the evening was Bach's powerful and triumphant setting of the Magnificat. This represented perhaps the biggest challenge for the choir with demanding semi quaver passages in the opening movement and complex fugual sections throughout.

In spite of these potential problems, the choir tackled the piece with great commitment and enthusiasm. Although there were some difficulties in the faster passages with timing and rhythm, the overall drama and momentum was maintained, and there were some particularly effective crescendos building up to the final climax.

Once again the soloists deserve a special mention, with all five providing strong interpretation of the various solo sections, in particular the Counter-tenor David Bates with his rendition of the alto aria, 'He hath filled the hungry ... the rich He hath sent away empty'.

By the enthusiastic response of the audience at the end of the concert it was clear that Reigate & Redhill Choral Society had provided another highly entertaining and successful evening of music. Special congratulations must go to Peter Farrant for his current leadership of the Society, which has brought about a demonstrable development in quality of sound and the overall confidence and presentation of the choir.

Review by Janet Ormerod

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	Reigate & Redhill Choral Society is affiliated to Making Music: The National Federation of Music Societies and gratefully acknowledges support received from the Borough of Reigate & Banstead Arts Council. Registered Charity No 280195

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