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Crowborough Choral Society | |
The Society's archivist has prepared a list of all our concerts as a PDF file - historians may find them interesting, click here.
Some Reviews
Photo: © Manfred Seibels & Rellinger Kantorei
A Truly Sparkling Achievement
by EIKE PAWELKO
RELLINGEN:
The Kantorei, directed by Wolfgang Zilcher, masters Mozart's "Great
Mass" with Style.
The
They
found it had been worth their while. The members of both amateur choirs
sang their way stylishly through one of the toughest nuts in Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart¹s hoard of church music: the Great Mass in C-minor, KV427.
Most
of it, at least, comes from Mozart’s own pen; five pieces in the centre
had been composed and inserted in 1871 by Alois Schmidt.
Masterfully
conducted by Wolfgang Zilcher, the church¹s Director of Music, and well
attuned to one another, the amateur singers, the professional
instrumentalists and the four soloists delivered a wonderfully harmonious
musical performance.
In
particular the
It
was only shortly before the close of this mammoth work, lasting almost two
hours, that the baritone Jae-Hyun Lee was able to shine, in that splendid
pæan of praise, the ³Benedictus². Compared with the other three
soloists, who put so much expression into their singing, the tenor Joachim
Duske came across as a little colourless.
The
Mass consists of 18 individual numbers - and in not one single bar did it
begin to pall. It was a kaleidoscope of sound: the darkly dramatic “Qui
tollis” was followed by the “Quoniam”, brimming with joy and
optimism; after the powerful rhythms of the “Credo” one’s very soul
was caressed by an outstandingly sweet rendering of “Et incarnatus est”.
The
two choirs participated with confidence, and rightly so. On the whole they
fulfilled their task to perfection, with perhaps a slight weakness
apparent in such tricky passages as the ³Amen² shortly before the first
interval, and the very temperamental beginning of the “Et resurrexit”.
However,
in view of the spatial distance between them, especially the men’s
voices, and between them and the conductor, the choirs demonstrated an
outstanding degree of synchronisation.
Messiah Jointly with Rellinger Kantorei
25th November 2005
by
Heidi Rauchfuß
Rellinger Kantorei
The Rellinger
Kantorei¹s visit to Crowborough to take part in the joint performance of
G.F. Handel¹s “Messiah”.
Following an
“unwinding” in the All Saints church hall, we all went home feeling
relaxed and relieved.
There followed a
lunch together at Barnsgate Manor, and the principal topic of conversation
was the general enthusiasm about the morning¹s event.
For almost all
of the German guests, this is an integral part of a visit to Crowborough.
We venture on to the dance floor in couples or groups and try to master
the steps and get them right under the guidance of the caller on the
stage, to the strains of a live band, in this case “Grass Roots”. It
was a good laugh!!! Of course there were constant misunderstandings,
collisions with partners, fellow-dancers were hauled into the right
position; nevertheless, by the end of each dance the sequence of steps was
generally more or less as it should be.
We’ll Meet Again
18th June 2005
Crowborough Choral Society sang a concert of music from the war years in two performances on Saturday 18th June as a part of the town’s Centenary Celebrations. The concert featured popular songs from the period, many of which had been specially rearranged for the choir by Musical Director Colin Moore. Lyn Lording and John Charman provided a narration linking the songs that was mainly humorous, though poignant and informative as well. Derek Watmough, provided a wonderful accompaniment to both performances.
Crowborough St. John’s Womens’ Institute set up a 1940s canteen serving such delicacies as Spam sandwiches and gallons of tea, much appreciated on what was the hottest day of the year so far. In a new departure a Tea Dance was held between the two performances.
Brian Oliver and his fellow military re-enactors brought a US Army Truck and Jeep and dressed as Military Policemen guarded the entrance to the Church Hall, which they had covered in camouflage netting. Don Hemsley of Crowbrough Branch of the British Legion provided an exhibition stand and he and a number of his colleagues attended wearing their medals.
A member of the audience commented " That was a brilliant programme, it really took me back.." . Allyson Cook, Chair of Crowborough Choral Society, said "This was one of the best summer concerts we have done. The Hall looked wonderful decked out with old posters, newspapers, flags and camouflage and the Choir enjoyed the programme tremendously, as did the audience." Daniel Rowe, of Jackson Rowe Associates, the choir’s sponsors said, "This was a wonderful concert, the Musical Director and the Choir are very talented."
The Wolf River Singers - 10th June, 2005
The Wolf River Singers gave a brilliant concert in All Saint's Church Centre, on Friday 10th June, 2005. The concert was promoted by Crowborough Choral Society as a part of the town's Centenary Celebrations. The choir, based in Memphis, Tennessee, who are touring England and Ireland sang a superb balanced programme conducted by their Musical Director, Ben Leggett.
The Wolf River Singers are all individually auditioned for their place in the choir and their musicality, wonderful timing and ability to handle difficult rhythms shone through their varied programme. The concert opened with the Missa Festiva by Gretchaniov, then the Singers did a set of Sacred Songs from America's Past. They continued with Songs from America today and ended with a triumphant rendition of American Folk Songs and Spirituals from composers such as Moses Hogan, Aaron Copland and Stephen Paulus.
Musical Director Ben Leggett said, "It has been an honour for us to come and sing in your beautiful country and especially here in Crowborough on this special occasion. This has been a wonderful experience for us all and Crowborough Choral Society have been excellent hosts."
Comments from the audience included, "They are an excellent and disciplined choir who sing accurately as well as obviously loving their music." and "When are you going to get them to come again?". One of the Wolf River Singers, Jill Quarles, said, "That concert was the best musical experience of my life."
Allyson Cooke, Chair of Crowborough Choral Society said, " It has been a wonderful experience, as singers ourselves, to have the opportunity to promote a concert by a choir of such quality from another country. This concert stands as a milestone in the Society's commitment to expanding the musical life of Crowborough."
CD's of The Wolf River Singers singing Christmas music are available to order, price £10 (plus postage outside Crowborough, free delivery locally.) Email
or telephone 01892 654367
giving your postal address
Click the button below to go to:
The Wolf River Singers
Website
Early Splendour - 19th March, 2005
Crowborough Choral Society opened their contribution to the Centenary proceedings with a concert of early English and Italian music in All Saints Church Centre on Saturday 19th March. The composers featured were William Byrd, Claudio Monterverdi and Giovanni da Palestrina.
Byrd’s Mass for Four Voices is a complex work in which each voice weaves its own pattern and only the listeners can appreciate the final effect. Though the work was originally intended to be unaccompanied, the choir wisely chose to have the support of a superb accompanist, Christopher Harris, who added much to this performance.
Mr Harris also performed two works from the Renaissance in a solo role, a Voluntary by Tomkins and the Conzona by Frescobaldi. His beautiful rendition of these very different and difficult works, showed off the excellent portable pipe organ, owned by the Tudeley Festival and built by Kenneth Tickell, to its best effect.
The choir was at its best with the works from the Italian tradition. Palestrina’s Exsultate Deo, provided a coherent welter of competing and echoing voices exalting in the praise of God.
Monterverdi’s fiendishly difficult rhythms with their interlocking sequences demand a clarity and precision in the voices that is quite different from the English school. The Choral Society showed that it had the ability to grasp the opportunities the music provided. The Cantate Domino and Christe adoramus te were competently rendered. The Magnificat for Six Voices, the most complex of the pieces was, however, simply sublime.
Colin Moore’s conducting of these exacting and taxing works was exemplary. His beat was relentless, whilst his other hand stabbed entries at each voice and snuffed out phrases with an elegance that hid the effort involved.
The choir gave a joyful contribution to Crowborough’s centenary celebrations.
Keith Harcourt.
6th December 2003
Full House!
"House Full" notices displayed outside All Saints Church Centre, Crowborough
at the recent concert given by the local Choral Society with the Brandenburg
Sinfonia, would have been entirely appropriate; for every seat was taken
for a splendid evening's music making.
From the initial opening of Schubert's Magnificat in C, it was obvious
that the choir was in fine voice, underpinned by the distinguished playing
of the Brandenburg Sinfonia. The singing had both clarity and poise overlaid
with detailed shading.
In Mozart's symphony No. 38 in D, it was obvious that we were in the presence
of a premier-league orchestra. The warm strings dovetailed every phrase
and all the other instruments were absolutely in tune. Conductor Colin
Moore kept a tight grip on proceedings which maintained the listeners'
attention throughout.
Beethoven's Mass in C is a major work that should be included in concert
programmes more often, as it contains both subtle nuances and thrilling
climaxes. The fugal passages from both choir and orchestra were energetically
managed, bringing the temperature to perilously near boiling point.
A beautifully balanced quartet of soloists, Janet Lax, Soprano, Serena
Kay, Mezzo-soprano, Nan Atichatpong, Tenor and Julian Empett, Bass, added
a magical dimension to the evening. It was, however, the contribution
of Janet Lax that stayed in the memory with her clear, effortless delivery
throughout her entire vocal range.
Looking at the massed array of singers in the choir from the body of the
hall, the Society is fortunate in being able to draw upon some twenty
or so tenors and basses, and amongst the ladies there is a generous sprinkling
of young fresh sounding voices.
All together another signal success for this enterprising musical society.
John Francis
March 29th 2003
Enhances it's long established reputation
Crowborough Choral Society enhanced further its long established reputation
for presenting ambitious and varied programmes, when on Saturday in All
Saints Church
it combined with the Brandenburg Sinfonia in a splendid evening of music
by
Caldara, Bach and Handel.
Caldara is not a name which frequently appears in concert programmes but
from the five movements of his Magnificat in C which were so enthusiastically
received, his work deserves much greater exposure. The choir in sprightly
form contains an enviable supply of tenors and basses providing a secure
foundation and an excellent foil for the ladies, the warm tone emanating
from the alto section being particularly noticeable coupled with the clear,
bright vibrato free line of the sopranos.
The Caldara calls for a quartet of soloists and the beautifully balanced
voices of Sian Jones soprano, Iestyn Davies Countertenor, Nan Atichatpong
Tenor and Julian Empett Baritone were a delight, all providing an amalgam
of sensitivity and authority.
One of the many rewarding items of the evening was the superb playing
of the Brandenburg Sinfonia - leader Julian Leaper - of the popular Orchestral
Suite No 3 in D by Bach which contains the well known movement known as
the Air on the G String. In this we heard each phrase perfectly shaped
with a depth of feeling that was almost spellbinding.
The evening ended with choir, orchestra and soloists combining in Handel's
four Coronation Anthems. Zadok the Priest which is by far the best known
was given a bravura performance under the expert direction of Colin Moore
the choirs conductor and founder, the deciamatory entry of the choir when
it came after the orchestral introduction being given a no holds barred
treatment. Special mention must be made of the brass section of the orchestra
which injected an added dimension to the proceedings whenever it was involved
and also to Christopher Harris's discreet continue using an instrument
specially imported for the occasion. A capacity audience is ample witness
to the success and popularity of the choirs imaginative programming and
performance.
John Francis.
16th March 2002
Effortlessly Haunting Performance
Crowborough Choral Society gave an enterprising concert on Saturday 16th
March in the excellent acoustic of All Saints Church Centre in their home
town. The works chosen, brought to a climax by Duruflé's ethereal Requiem,
showed a willingness to programme both complex and, in some cases, unfamiliar
music.
The choir's handling of the Lauda Zion, Mendelsson, provided a confident
start. This was particularly praiseworthy, as an unfortunate stage lighting
error meant that many of the singers had difficulty seeing their scores
in this piece. The choir's careful enunciation and conductor Colin Moore's
control allowed this hymn of praise to be fully appreciated by the audience.
Two works by Gabriel Fauré completed the first half of the programme.
The Pavane, originally an orchestral piece, lost none of its magic in
its translation to organ and choir. The opening, with the voices floating,
almost eerily, above the rolling tones of the organ, was particularly
effective. The Cantique de Jean Racine, performed next, is equally atmospheric
and the choir gave an admiring audience a moving performance of it.
Duruflé's Requiem, a complex and challenging work, is based on themes
from Gregorian chant. The choir's performance fully displayed the glorious
soaring themes, ranging from controlled forte to carefully crafted pianissimo.
The repeated dying cadences, so much a part of this piece, were beautifully
explored.
The baritone soloist only has eighteen bars in this work, but Gavin Carr's
voice has a sonority that gave real weight to the solemnity and majesty
of the work. Serena Kay, mezzo-soprano, has a thrilling voice that belies
her diminutive, attractive frame and she gave an effortlessly haunting
performance.
Chris Harris, organist, showed completely mastery of his craft, his accompaniment
of the whole programme was flawless.
Crowborough Choral Society has shown that it can use the superb sound
quality of this venue, the high quality of soloists that it attracts and
its own musical skills to excellent effect.
Keith Harcourt
9 Dec 2001
A Choral Messiah to Relish
Familiarity has placed us in danger of taking Handel's 'Messiah' for granted.
Yet it is worth reminding ourselves that this much-loved work was written
towards the end of the composer's life, when he was contemplating retirement.
It was written in aid of charity in Dublin, and first performed there
in 1741. Its form and content, unusual at the time, is probably part of
the reason it is so successful even today. Full of good tunes and wonderful
writing for voices, with a well nigh perfect balance between drama, and
wonder, solo and chorus, it is an immensely satisfying thing both to sing
and to hear. Especially so in as eminently sane, stylish and unexaggerated
a performance as that given last Sunday by Crowborough Choral Society,
under the direction of their Musical Director, Colin Moore.
The Society's regular accompanists, the Brandenburg Sinfonia, were this
time in the guise of a small baroque orchestra of some twenty players.
This made for a lightness of texture and refinement of expression which
was a delight to hear. This clarity was matched by the chorus who managed
their frequent changes of mood and pace quite excellently, in particular
the many fast passages which were enunciated clearly and precisely. This
was a Messiah where the all-important words came first.
As for the soloists, they were placed on the front of the stage, rather
than on the floor of the hall with the orchestra. This resulted in - surprise,
surprise! - every word and note being crystal clear and easy to hear;
other promoters of choral concerts in the Assembly Hall please take note!
Thus the string of story-telling episodes was made even more enjoyable
and interesting than usual. Soprano Janet Lax, singing, quite properly,
with minimum vibrato in a clear, bell-like soprano, blended beautifully
with Alexandra Sherman's rich mezzo-soprano in 'He shall feed his flock'.
Mention must also be made of the intelligent and expressive singing of
baritone Adrian Clarke in the 'darkness' passage. So often these can seem
a little dreary; not so on this occasion they became a gripping and essential
part of the narrative. Christopher Steele's lambent tenor too, relayed
his part of the story with grace and delicacy - and perfect intonation
and diction.
Other musical felicities, too numerous to mention, made this a 'Messiah'
to relish, with dancing rhythms,culminating in a grand statement of the
closing 'Amen' chorus, Colin Moore deliberately choosing a steadier than
usual tempo, yet sustaining the tension right up to the final triumphant
bars.
David Inman
6 April 2001
Splendid form at All Saints
CROWBOROUGH Choral Society has over the last few years built up a reputation
for fine singing together with an enterprising choice of programme material
both of these attributes being in evidence on Saturday evening when works
by John Rutter and John Stainer were splendidly performed in the impressive
new building of Crowborough's massive All Saints Church Centre.
John Rutter one of the finest tune smiths living today composed a setting
of the Magnificat with words taken from St Luke's Gospel and which was
performed for the first time at the Carnegie Hall, New York in May 1990.This
modern work lasting some 40 minutes and spread over seven varied movements
makes excessive demands upon the singers rhythmic dexterity, their wide
vocal range and their ability almost at a stroke to change from a brilliant
climax to a serene pianissimo, all of which was accomplished on Saturday
without any obvious anxiety. A tribute to Colin Moore the choir's conductor
whose musical insight during rehearsals paid handsome dividends at this
performance. The presentation was greatly enhanced by the pure and seemingly
effortless singing of soprano Julie Kench whose clean line and vibrato
free delivery was a joy to behold.
Rutter's Te Deum composed in 1988 with words taken from the Book of Common
Prayer is shorter and more straightforward but as the text suggests is
a paean of praise and a more jubilant and exciting performance would be
difficult to imagine. The society is fortunate in having a good balance
between parts and with a shortage of men, a situation which afflicts many
other choral societies.
The second half of the programme was given over to a rendition of John
Stainer's lenten oratorio The Crucifixion, a work which has stood the
test of time since its Victorian origin and it was particularly appropriate
that it marked the death of the composer a hundred years age in 1901.As
in many other things Victorian, Stainer's music is now being re-assessed
and compares favourably with other composers born later. A greater contrast
with Rutter it would be difficult to achieve with harmonies which might
be called loving and over sentimental, but when sung with the sincerity
that was apparent on Saturday it becomes without question entirely acceptable.
Soloists John Crossman Tenor and Andrew Jacques Baritone sang with great
refinement, a deep conviction and with crystal clean enunciation. One
of the brightest stars in the choirs firmament is organist Christopher
Harris whose accompaniment throughout the entire evening was faultless
and took the place of an orchestra with such expertise that the orchestra
was hardly missed. His underpinning of the singing was a revelation.
John Francis
29 October 2000.
Handel's Theodora
The future of choral singing in Britain is secure .....
...when local choral societies are ambitious enough to mount a semi-staged
performance of Handel's three-part dramatic oratorio Theodora, as Crowborough
Choral Society did last Sunday October 29th. Perhaps semi-staged is too
strong a word, but the imaginative use of coloured lighting to highlight
the narrative, made for easy understanding of the plot, and provided a
moving ending to the piece, the choir in silhouette against a coloured
backdrop with a projected crucifix. Some minimal action by the protagonists
helped too. Strengthened by 30 voices from their sister choir in Rellingen,
North Germany, and moved from their usual venue in Trinity Arts Centre
to the Assembly hall, the choir benefitted from the larger space available
to them, producing choral tone of great focus and weight. There was a
conviction about the performance too, which made for a gratifying and,
taking the presentation into account, memorable musical experience. The
singers included Crowborough's regular soloists, soprano Cheryl Enever
as Theodora, and mezzo Emer Gilloway as Irene; with Robert ]ohnston, tenor
as Septimius and Colin Campbell, bass in the thankless 'bad guy' part
of Valens. The small part of the Messenger was sung, from within the choir,
by Richard Sidaway. The crucial role of Didymus was superbly taken by
the German contralto, Karin Kunde, who had sung the part in a performance
given last year in Rellingen. Her diction in what was, for her, a foreign
language, was a model for any English singer. She was 'inside' the part
and in true Handel style. This was an outstanding and compelling performance,
sung and acted with great distinction. Outstanding too, was Emer Gilloway.
The possessor of a quite lovely voice, she too was an outstandingly natural
Handelian, the duets and solos in the second part were a joy. If Cheryl
Enever seemed a little less than comfortable in the first half, this was
perhaps more a reflection of the vocal writing. She came into her own,
as did the entire performance, in the second half. The part of Septimius
really requires a lighter lyric tenor than that of Robert Johnston; he
delivered his part, however, with conviction, as did Colin Campbell as
Valens. Richard Sidaway was excellent as the Messenger, with a clarity
of diction that, I believe, was due to his being placed at stage level,
his voice projecting into the middle of the hall. The other soloists,
located at floor level, were effectively singing into the front row, resulting
in some loss of clarity. The very important accompanying continue parts
were provided by Wolfgang Zilcher, harpsichord, the Rellingen Kantorei's
musical director, and by Chris Harris, organ. Both were playing period
instruments loaned by the Tudeley Festival. Francois Rive, unnamed in
the well-produced programme, played the substantial cello part. The orchestra
was the excellent Brandenburg Sinfonia, and the performance was directed
by the Crowborough Choral Society's founder/musical director Colin Moore.
All in all, and ambitious, imaginative, and memorable presentation.
David Inman
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