Romsey Choral Society
|
From the Romsey Advertiser... |
"The cold winter months are just about behind us and as the snowdrops and daffodils herald the onset of Spring, it was a joy to attend the Lenten concert of Romsey Choral Society in the United Reformed Church, Romsey, on Saturday 12th March. This, the latest offering in the Choral Society’s busy concert season, included a selection of anthems by English composers and featured commendable solo performances by choir members Angela Aylott, Sarah Carmichael, Peter Coulson, Stephen James and Linda Stafford.
The Rev. Terry Hinks extended a warm welcome to the audience, which included civic guests Cllr. Pat West, representing the Mayor of Test Valley, Cllr. Dorothy Baverstock, Mayor of Romsey, and Mrs Sandra Gidley, local MP. In his address, Rev. Hinks spoke of the sad death that morning of Cllr. Charles Mead, who had held the post of Mayor of Romsey on no less than five occasions. Cllr. Mead was remembered in the opening prayers.
As always, the choir, and their conductor David Truslove, were not afraid to ‘test the waters’ by presenting works by lesser-known composers. To this end, they began the concert with Sir Edward Bairstow’s ‘Blessed City, heavenly Salem’. This magnificent anthem dates from 1914, when Bairstow was organist at York Minster. The rousing and uplifting organ introduction stated the work’s principle melody whilst dramatic choral lines rose above, featuring a beautiful soprano solo. The work concluded with a serene and meditative prayer, ably and sensitively executed by the attentive choir.
The singers were heard to particular advantage during the unaccompanied mass for eight voices ‘Cantus Missae’ by Josef Rheinberger. In this highly lyrical but little-performed work, the composer envisages two choirs performing together, constantly blending and weaving melodic phrases to create a dense harmony and heighten dramatic tension. The full weight of all eight parts is reserved for selected potent passages, such as at the start of the Gloria. It is a measure of the quality of the Choral Society that its members can perform a complex work so confidently, expressively and tunefully whilst singing unaccompanied.
Returning to English composers, the choir treated us to ‘Great is the Lord’ by Edward Elgar, a passionate and moving setting of Psalm 48, written specifically to commemorate the foundation or dedication of a church and first performed in Westminster Abbey in 1912. The choir’s male voices provided an inspiring start to this fine anthem, which is typical of Elgar’s noble style, broad melodic gestures and dramatic word setting.
After the interval, the poise and confidence of the choir was demonstrated further with a superb performance of Samuel Wesley’s ‘Blessed be the God and Father’. A quiet and gentle choral introduction led towards a representation of the resurrection by strong unison male voices. This was followed by a soprano soloist and semi-chorus encouraging us to ‘love one another with a pure heart fervently’. In the exalted choral finale we were told that God’s word ‘endureth for evermore’.
The evening’s choral works were interspersed with organ solos from the talented Richard Scott-Copeland. We were indulged with three contrasting organ works by Sir Charles Stanford (Postlude in D Minor), Ralph Vaughan Williams (Rhosymedre) and Josef Rheinberger (Fantasia from Organ Sonata No.12), with Richard applying his customary impressive style and perceptive interpretation to each piece.
The concert concluded with an anthem by Sir Charles Stanford, ‘For lo, I raise up’. This was written in 1914 and expresses the composer’s anguish over imminent war. The theatrical opening represents an invading army and the choir skilfully portrayed images of galloping horses ‘flying as an eagle’. A calmer, prayerful section follows and eventually we are led to the assurance that the terrors of war will pass. The serenity of the final bars dispels violence and fear and replaces them with a vision of peace. It is interesting to note that although this anthem was written in 1914, at the start of the First World War, it was not published until 1939, again at the start of war!
Finally, the choir, still somehow full of energy, provided us with a stirring encore: an inspired interpretation of the anthem ‘I was glad’ by Hubert Parry. This choral setting of the words from Psalm 122, written for the coronation of Edward VII in 1902 and sung at every coronation since, provided an appropriately exciting note on which to end this most enjoyable and memorable concert."
Review by Diana Harris