THE ADVERTISER, MARCH 16, 2001
Choir sang with incisive accuracy
BRAHMS’S Requiem is
not a straightforward setting of the Latin liturgical
text, rather, the composer
chose biblical texts which
reflected his own view of
the human predicament,
coloured as it was by the
deaths of his mentor,
Schumann, and of his
own mother.
The texts are set in a
colourful and varied manner, but are never allowed
to
obscure
Brahms’s
essentially
classical
approach, heightened by a
deliberate use of academic techniques such as the
fugue and the canon.
The work therefore
calls for a straightforward, unfussy interpretation, which is what it
received at the hands of
~
the
Guildford
monic
Choir
Philhar-
- dynamic nuance.
and |
strengthened
That every word of the
Orchestra last Saturday. - German text came across
Under
by
such
superb playing as that of
wonderfully rich tone to
her soprano solo, beauti-
oboist Neil Black,but the
fully echoed by the cho-
the outstanding
was not merely the effect
strings tackled the tricky
rus. Stephen Varcoe was a
direction of David Hill,
of the dry acoustic of
divisi
opening
sensitive interpreter, if a
the choir sang with inci-
Guildford’s
movement with sheer pro-
little light in vocal quality
sive accuracy, and was
The orchestral contribu-
fessionalism.
for a hefty bass role.
responsive
tion
to
every
might
Civic
have
hall.
been
of
the
:
Lynda Russell lent a
Shelagh Godwin
Memorable performance of Passion
BACH’S gloriously dramatic St
John Passion drew an enthusiastic
audience to Guildford’s Holy
Trinity Church last Saturday, for a
memorable performance under the
assured direction of David Gibson.
The Occam Singers were clear
and confident, and it is a measure
of their versatility that, in addition
to the roles of Peter, Pilate, and servants, selected members very ably
undertook almost all the solo arias.
3]
Both guest soloists demonstrated
effortless communication, though
Stephen Douse, as the Evangelist,
experienced intermittent problems
of intonation and was thus not so
persuasive
as
Robert
Rice’s
Christus.
Ideally for this venue, the orchestra was very small, just 12 players.
Much fine playing here, but not
‘entirely balanced. Whether they
were the New London Sinfonia or
New London Baroque Ensemble
(information differed), it was a pity
not to.be told their names, in an
otherwise most informative programme booklet.
As always with Occam Singer’s
concerts, proceeds were offered to
charity, on this occasion the
Number Five Hostel, the Guildford
reception centre for homeless men.
Sebastian Forbes.