Choir's enjoyment was infectious
HAYDN was not above
the odd musical joke,
waking up dozy audiences or dropping heavy
musical hints to
his
employer, and his magnificent choral work the
Creation shows the amazing versatility of the composer.
It is theatrical, operatic, serious, frivolous and
triumphant in turn, innovative in its descriptiveness.
And the duet between
Adam and Eve would
make splendid wedding
music, according to the
lovely Australian soprano, Joanna Cole, who performed with Guildford
Philharmonic Orchestra
and Choir at the Civic
Hall on Saturday night.
Inspired by her background in opera, she
responded to the romance
- of the duet, singing opposite bass Andrew Foster,
clearly enjoying its theatrical potential.
Cole’s unforced but
strong lyrical soprano
stood out among the
soloists. Foster’s voice,
more a baritone than bass
in timbre, occasionally
showed
sonority
and
gravitas,
but
Foster
seemed happier bringing
out the humour of the
animal kingdom, playing
for laughs with his roaring lion and bleating
lambs.
Tenor Matthew Beale
was also light and a little
brittle, though his intona-
tion and articulation were
excellent.
The orchestra under
conductor
En
Shao
showed ominous signs at
times of under-rehearsal.
The introduction was a bit
ragged but the orchestra
achieved a nicely smoky
evocation of chaos and
there were some fine solo
spots by flute, cello and
horn among others.
Really good to hear was
the improvement in the
choir, which sang with
confidence and accuracy
despite a tendency to have
heads buried .in scores.
The parts were well balanced and entries and
intonation were secure.
Tone was solid and people
sang out with enthusiasm
and enjoyment. It was
infectious.
Jane Garrett