Review of recent concerts

New Horizons (23 June 2001)

A crash on the cymbals was the exhilirating start to the evening of music celebrating the diamond jubilee of Reigate and Redhill Choral Society.

The gala concert held on 23 June 2001 was characterised by excellent intonation, precise ensemble and increasing emotional depth in the succession of works.

The programme, entitled New Horizons, had as its theme the sea and travel by water.

The orchestra, Surrey ProMusica, first placed Malcolm Arnold's Water Music. Conductor Peter Farrant made the most of the colour inherent in the score and elicited a variety of strong and bass tone and wide-ranging dynamics.

The opening choral unison of Andrew Carter's major new work, Horizons, was sung with lovely warm tone and perfectly in tune. In succeeding movements, the men and the complete chorus managed to maintain a warm and velvety sound in all the softer passages.

Soprano Tracie Penwarden sang the second movement with light well-focussed tone and excellent clarity of words (words were generally very clear throughout the programme). However, her other solo movements needed some sense of engagement with the music and one missed a reflection of its emotion in her face.

The orchestra was slightly too loud for the chorus in the climactic passages but this resulted in some very exciting moments.

Stanford's Songs of the Sea and Songs of the Fleet comprised the second part of the programme. This is music from one of the golden ages of English song and choral writing. There are immediately attractive melodies in Songs of the Sea while the Songs of the Fleet are masterly and emotional.

Here the chorus was mostly part of the orchestral texture or else held briefly in alternation with the soloist. There was a wonderful unified choral and orchestral sound, with soloist, chorus and orchestra cross-fading in the most satisfying way.

William Berger was a highly communicative singer. His singing was well-shaped, words were clear and the text was portrayed in his facial expression.

There was some untidiness from the choir and orchestra in the Songs of the Fleet, but this was more than balanced by the emotional highs of the performance; a long slow tease leading to a glorious final climax.

Charles Thompson
Surrey Mirror, June 2001

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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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