Reviews of Winchester & County Music Festival and Hampshire Choral Festival concerts.
2025
Review of Hampshire Choral Festival [Formerly the Winchester and County Music Festival] performance of The Verdi Requiem at the Basingstoke Anvil Theatre on Sunday 11th May
The choirs of Botley Choral Society, Compton and Shawford Festival Choir, Itchen Valley Choir, Overton Choral Society, Sarisbury Choral Society, the Twyford Singers and the Winchester City Festival Choir, joined forces with the Festival Orchestra and soloists Helen Bailey, Anna Loveday, Jonathan Cooke and Thomas Humphreys, under the baton of John Sutton, to perform the first performance of Derek Beck’s The Life of Universal Song (conducted by the composer) and Verdi’s Requiem.
There could not have been a better celebration of the wonderful British choral tradition than this compelling and moving performance.
Appropriately, the concert opened with Derek Beck’s setting of Edmund Blunden’s poem “For St Cecilia”, a work which called on the harmonies and the expressive setting of English verse, with a famous musical quotation played by a fine solo trumpet.
From the very beginning of the Verdi, John Sutton created a hush in the hall which promised what he continued to create for us by his observant and finely judged tempi and awareness of the many moments of dramatic effect in a work which some critics have suggested is more of an opera than a religious work. From the singing of the well balanced choral voices, the fine playing of the orchestra and the impressive contributions of the very talented quartet of soloists, it was clear that he and the performers understood that the operatic intensity of the music would be put to the service of a deep and spiritual communication.
Verdi dedicated the work to the memory of his friend, the Italian poet, Alessandro Manzoni. The plea to free us from eternal death is somehow vividly personal. One of many special moments was when the massed choir chanted that text unaccompanied.
Each of the four soloists provided many such moments, whether evoking the tears of grief in “Lachrymosa” or the threat of the final judgement in “Liber scriptus”; or the plea for redemption from guilt in “Ingemisco tanquam reus”; or the beautifully intoned “Agnus Dei”; or the threat and contrition of “Confutatis”; and the final impassioned plea by the soprano followed by the mesmeric repetition of “Libera me” by the whole choir.
The responsibility of writing a review of such a special occasion has become a really pleasurable revisiting of my memories of the experience.
I consider the importance of taking part in, or indeed attending such an occasion, is surely a reminder of what is really important in our lives together. If we add to that the significant contribution which these choirs’ performances have made to the Hospice movement it is appropriate to end this “review” by thanking John for his deeply perceptive music making and to all who have helped HCF in bringing this about with such notable success.
Professor Christopher Underwood
2022
Review of WCMF concert at the Anvil, Basingstoke on Saturday 22nd May
A joyous performance of Handel’s oratorio took place on Sunday 22 May at the Anvil Hall in Basingstoke. This concert marked a centenary of choral singing at the Winchester and County Music Festival with a legacy of many great concerts over the past 100 years. There were seven choirs taking part in the concert on Sunday : Botley Choral Society, Compton & Shawford Festival Choir, Itchen Valley Choir, Overton Choral Society, Sarisbury Choral Society, Twyford Singers and Winchester City Festival Choir. The excellent Southern Sinfonia were the accompanying orchestra and the four soloists were Alison Ponsford-Hill, Simon Ponsford, Matthew Long and Jamie W. Hall.
Since 1922 local singers have come together to sing works by a wide variety of composers from Vivaldi to Vaughan Williams, from Bax to Beethoven. Many great conductors of the twentieth century, including Henry Wood, Adrian Boult and Malcolm Sargent, have had the task of drawing together the combined forces of choirs and orchestras. On Sunday the singers were in the capable hands of David Hill, who has guided and inspired many eminent choirs including the Philharmonia Chorus and currently the Bach choir. The work performed was one of the greatest and most beloved of all choral pieces – The Messiah by George Frederic Handel. This work was a fitting and uplifting choice in the wake of two pandemic years when choral singing was relegated to Zoom screens or not at all!
The first chorus number ‘And the Glory…’ set the tone for the evening. It was a resonant sound from the combined choirs that filled the stage at the Anvil Concert Hall. Many of the choruses in the work were sung with confidence and care. Enthusiasm made up for occasional lapses in pitch and the notoriously difficult intonation of ‘Since by man…’ was handled well. Dynamics were observed but on the whole the choir excelled in the forte passages. The audience was treated to a rousing ‘Allellujah Chorus’ which was exciting and affirmative. We all rose to our feet as tradition and response required. Attention to the conductor’s baton occasionally wavered but Dr Hill retrieved the ensemble and the performance was secured.
Each of the young soloists gave of their best with a combination of lovely tone and dramatic presence. The air ‘Why do the nations so furiously rage together…’ sung by Jamie W. Hall, the bass soloist, was particularly poignant and thrilling. The Southern Sinfonia, though a small orchestra for such a substantial piece of music, did a marvellous job. The instrumental solo in ‘The trumpet shall sound…’ was beautifully played with meticulous dynamic shading.
So, an impressive performance of a great oratorio. Well done to all the performers at the concert on Sunday – and here’s to the next hundred years of the Winchester and County Music Festival!
Judy Davies
2019
Review of WCMF concert at Winchester Cathedral on Saturday 11th May 2019.
Once again, three Hampshire choirs – Botley Choral Society, Compton and Shawford Festival Choir and the Twyford Singers – having rehearsed separately with their respective conductors – have worked their magic when united to perform one evening concert. This is in itself a great achievement of all the conductors, Derek Beck and David Burgess, and especially John Sutton who directed the performance itself.
Puccini’s Messa di Gloria and Rossini’s Stabat Mater are passionate, dramatic expressions of aspects of the Christian faith by operatic composers drawn to extrovert and intense styles. These make heavy demands on singers and orchestra alike. In the Kyrie of Puccini’s Mass, both showed this very well in the strong contrasts between controlled quiet intensity and louder outbursts of prayer. The ringing tone of the tenor soloist, Alexander James Edwards, carried wonderfully down the nave, not only in the solos but over the full orchestra and choir. The choir also worked on bringing out the subject entries in the ‘Cum sancto spiritu’ to good effect, and the coda was powerfully brought out. The sombre but firm ‘Crucifixus’, sung by the basses of the chorus, contrasted well with the brighter ‘Et resurrexit’ from the full choir.
The opening of Rossini’s ‘Stabat Mater’, with its tense, diminished-seventh arpeggios, establishes the atmosphere of Jesus’ mother’s intense emotion at the foot of the Cross. The orchestra conveyed this very effectively, with the following agitated strings and alternating solo and chorus sections. The well-known ‘cujus animam’ gave us another chance to hear Alexander James Edwards’ powerful tenor. We also heard some good, and demanding, duet work from Phillipa Boyle (the soprano, who replaced Helen Bailey, due to illness, at very short notice), and Fiona Mackay (alto), as well as from the quartet of soloists.
As always, the Winchester Music Festival orchestra deserve special thanks for their discipline, expression and precision, which was especially clear in the wind and brass sections. The orchestra gave strong support to the performance throughout.
Geoffrey Bennetts
An extract from Fiona Smith the wife of our WCMF President Julian, who died earlier this year.
It meant so much to me to sit with you at the really wonderful WCMF concert in the Cathedral last night. I was touched beyond measure, and honoured, that you and John Sutton had thought of dedicating it to Julian. I’m sure he was revelling in the performances – such glorious music – and the combined Choirs were superb – one of the very best I’ve ever heard from them – such athletic sopranos – and all so alert to John’s direction………wonderful pianissimos and electrifying fortissimos – and I could hear the words.
2018
Review of WCMF concert at Winchester Cathedral on Saturday 12th May 2018
WCMF Chorus consists of seven choirs. Four of them, Botley, Itchen Valley, Overton Choral Societies and Twyford Singers gave a magnificent concert in Winchester Cathedral on Saturday evening (12th May).
The first half of the programme was a performance of Elgar’s “Spirit of England”, dedicated to “Our glorious men” who had fallen in WW1.
The acoustics of this iconic building are perfect for the liturgical music sung daily by one of the best (if not THE best) Cathedral choirs in the UK: less so for a choir of c.300 and a large orchestra playing the rich orchestrations of Elgar’s wonderful music. As a result, despite the great efforts of the Conductor, David Burgess, the words and nuances he worked so hard to project with his very clear beat and directions, tended to be sometimes lost in a general “mush” of lovely sound.
In the quieter passages we could hear the choir in good voice, producing some beautiful moments.
Soprano Helen Bailey was her usual magnificent self, although even some of her lower notes were acoustically “challenged”, but her upper range soared over both choir and orchestra to superb effect.
Whatever the vagaries of the acoustics, we were treated to a veritable feast of marvellous Edwardian splendour!
Sir Karl Jenkins’ “Armed Man – A Mass for Peace” constituted the second half of the programme. Here sections of the wonderful orchestra, led by Elizabeth Flower, showed their prowess – firstly the percussion, starting the superb build-up which is the first movement of the brilliantly orchestrated work.
The Muezzin, Kasim Sumra, was unable to be present due to a family bereavement, however his last-minute replacement, Ibrahim Ahmed performed the “Call to Prayers” superbly. I have heard it in this context many times and this was probably the finest.
The men’s chorus in the fourth movement was particularly excellent – a great sound and very together (the percussion explosion at the end of it, not quite so together!)
The brass section played magnificently throughout, but the “Last Post”, played by Principal trumpet, David Price, was a highlight.
Adrian Green (Tenor) joined Helen Bailey for this work, both singing convincingly describing the horrors of the effects of the Atom Bomb attack. Helen’s solo “Now the guns have stopped”, was moving and beautiful.
Nicola Heinrich, Principal ‘cellist, played the extremely difficult solo in the “Benedictus” with feeling.
“Better is Peace than always war”, declares the final movement – sung with great enthusiasm by the excellent chorus, and accompanied very stylishly by the woodwind section in “Irish Jig” mode.
During the work there were one or two tentative entries from the choir, but once in full swing, they were impressive, particularly so in the unaccompanied, in-tune final “God shall wipe away all tears”. Jenkins’ masterful orchestration allows the soloists, chorus and orchestra to “have their heads” and yet come through as required, and they did, making this a most enjoyable performance of a marvellous work.
So, thanks to the Conductors of the constituent choirs – Jane Bryant, Paul Timms and Derek Beck;
and a particular “Thank you” to Sir Karl, Maestro Burgess and WCMF.
JRSat
2017
Review of WCMF concert at Winchester Cathedral on 13th May
The Winchester and County Music Festival began life in 1921 with the aim of providing an opportunity for smaller choirs to perform more demanding works which they would be unable to undertake with their own resources. For 2017 singers from Botley, Overton, Twyford and Winchester provided a splendidly large choir to give a powerful performance in Winchester Cathedral of Mendelssohn’s rarely heard oratorio St. Paul. Written in 1836 and first performed in that year in Dusseldorf and Liverpool and in Birmingham in 1837, the work tells the story of Paul’s persecution of the Christians, his conversion, baptism and ordination, as told in the Acts of the Apostles.
Saturday’s performance provided a successful opportunity to admire Mendelssohn’s elegance, romantic lyricism and superb control of his forces. The chorus responded well to the dramatic numbers as well as the more reflective ones, tackling the more complex contrapuntal music well, relaxing in the chorale numbers which reflect on the story. There was some impressive four part singing by the women’s chorus, and the gentlemen were suitably dramatic when needed. Three soloists caught the lyrical style of their arias well, tenor Adrian Green and bass Edmund Saddington being particularly effecting in their duet ‘For so hath the Lord’. Soprano Helen Bailey also caught the reflective, flowing melodies of her arias, even if she seemed a little less secure in some of the recitatives. The Festival Orchestra was led by Elizabeth Flower and provided a secure and at times powerful accompaniment, underpinned by the might of the cathedral’s grand organ. There was some lovely clarinet playing in ‘O Thou, the true and only light’ and a solo cello enchanted us in ‘Be Thou faithful.’
The whole performance was directed with clarity and security by Graham Kidd, and even if Mendelssohn’s later oratorio Elijah of 1846 is the better known and more memorable work, Saturday’s performance of St. Paul was most pleasing and a welcome opportunity to hear a work which is not performed very often these days.
Martin Hall
In addition an email sent by a WCFC Choir member to her Choir Secretary –
WOW – Saturday was an evening of pure joy!
Beautiful words and music – thank you committee for choosing St Paul for us, the inspiring venue, the immaculate organisation, the fully engaged audience who knew they were hearing something special and as for our inspired and inspiring conductor, what talent and energy he has. He is totally dependable for every entry and nuance and considerate too. He handled the problems in the rehearsal so calmly. As for the robin, after a moment of worry about the intrusion we saw Graham open his arms and smile and that was more joy (and in a work so spiritual perhaps there was message there too!) We put our all into it and so did the robin.
I hope the audience numbers were enough – the trouble with Saturdays is that we are in competition with the Live Cinema Link to the Met which has a big following.
Thank you Graham, thank you committee and thank you WCFChoir. – I’d like to do it all again!
All best wishes
Review of WCMF concert in Romsey Abbey on Sunday 6th May 2017
The programme of this concert by the Winchester and County Music Festival in Romsey Abbey was always going to be challenging for the combined forces of the Compton and Shawford Festival Choir, the Itchen Valley Choral Society, the Sarisbury Choral Society, and the Pilgrims’ School Chamber Choir. The imaginative programme of three twentieth century works, each to some extent outside the mainstream, was nevertheless appreciated by a large audience.
The main work was Carmina Burana, consisting of settings of twenty four 13th century texts that had lain unnoticed in a Bavarian monastery for hundreds of years. Sung in Latin and medieval German they were not the religious high-minded texts that one might have expected. Rather they dealt with the basic realities of everyday life – luck, spring, wine, love and sex.
The original orchestration for full orchestra was replaced here by an arrangement for two pianists and five percussionists that had been approved by the composer. These instruments proved more than adequate to support the large choir. John Sutton wisely opted for clarity rather than subtlety in his conducting and by and large succeeded in keeping the whole thing under control. Though there was a tendency for the choir occasionally to run ahead in fast passages, the strong soprano line was crucial in maintaining the positive and lively approach that the work demands. I am sure many in the audience were unaware of the difficulty in bringing together the members of several different choirs who have been rehearsed by different conductors (favouring no doubt slightly different tempi). That the performance as a whole was successful is a credit to them all.
The soloists were excellent. I was particularly impressed by the musicality of the baritone Andrew de Silva and the effortless range of the soprano Stefanie Read. Richard Thesiger-Pratt’s tenor was notable for its power in the counter tenor range as well as in its normal range. All were enjoyable and captured the spirit of the music.
Carmina Burana was preceded by two works that illustrated how pupils can reject the influence of their teachers. Although a pupil of Vaughan Williams, who was into folk music and as square as they come, Constant Lambert was in love with jazz and complex latin-american rhythms all of which are found in The Rio Grande. Unfortunately, the Abbey’s resonant acoustic does no favours to such exciting loud and rhythmically complex music and from where I was sitting there was just too much noise to appreciate the music that the choir were clearly enjoying singing.
How different the following work for two pianos, where the brilliance of the music (and the playing) was enhanced by the acoustics. Sir Richard Rodney Bennett is something of an enigma. A pupil of Pierre Boulez, he can write wonderfully expressive chamber music and partsongs, but prefers to play jazz piano and perform the Great American Songbook with such stars as Cleo Laine, Marion Montgomery, and Claire Martin.
His Four Piece Suite brilliantly captures the samba, country blues, ragtime waltz and heavy rock of popular twentieth century music and Gwilym Stacey and Gilly Slot were themselves brilliant in the way they performed it. In addition, playing for nearly two hours and holding together an accompaniment that would normally be played by a full orchestra, was a tour de force for these two musicians and they did not put a foot wrong.
Altogether this was a thoroughly successful and enjoyable evening and a credit to the Winchester and County Music Festival.
Bryn Bridges
2016
Review of WCMF concert at Winchester Cathedral on Saturday 14th May
This was the third performance of Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius in Winchester Cathedral within the space of a year – if anyone missed this latest one because they had already attended one (or both) of the others, then they missed out on a real treat. The joint choirs that constitute the WCMF sang with enthusiasm and conviction, energetic in the fiendish demands of the ‘Demon’s Chorus’ and blazing with joy in the mighty choir of Angelicals. There was also tenderness and consolation in the choruses surrounding Gerontius on his deathbed and in the final Angel’s Farewell. The various chorus masters had thoroughly prepared their choirs to meet the huge demands of Elgar’s choral writing and mention must be made of the excellent semi-chorus singers, who provided a beautiful contrast to the main choral body.
In the key role of Gerontius was tenor Peter Auty, giving us his all as he journeyed through death and into the afterlife. His ‘Sanctis Fortis’ was fabulously operatic, but he could also produce a suitably pious and prayerful tone when expressing the uncertainties of his fate. His final ‘Take me away’, with its dramatic opening top A, was spine-tingling.
Emily Bauer-Jones sang the role of the Angel with beauty of tone and intense feeling and her ‘Farewell’ was a model of tenderness. Just occasionally she lacked the power to cut through the orchestral textures, but her singing was never less than beautiful. Bass Jimmy Holliday is no stranger to Winchester and his voice had tremendous power and presence, filling the cathedral with his rich tone.
Derek Beck was the maestro controlling the massed forces and his deep understanding of the Elgarian idiom was the decisive factor in this performance. The orchestra played their hearts out for him with some truly excellent ensemble work and fine solo passage-work. A memorable performance – thank you Derek and WCMF.
Duncan Eves
Review of WCMF concert at Romsey Abbey on 7th May 2016
On the evening of 7th May the Winchester and County Music Festival Choir and Orchestra were joined by a large audience in Romsey Abbey, for an evening of Mozart. On this occasion the choir comprised the Botley Choral Society, Overton Choral Society and the Winchester City Festival Choir. Accompanying the large body of singers was an orchestra of 28 players.
It seems a total injustice that Mozart, despite all his genius, had to scrape a living. In the year before he wrote the Vespers K. 339 his mother died, and he was rejected by the lady of his affections. Despite this, Mozart poured out music of amazing vitality.
The Vespers opened with Dixit Dominus. From the beginning it was clear that we were in for a special evening; the choir and orchestra were well balanced and responsive, and the conductor David Burgess radiated all the energy and invention which Mozart had imbued into this piece. The soloists, Helen Bailey, Soprano, Marie-Anne Hall, Contralto, Adrian Green, Tenor and Tom Herring, Bass Baritone entered at “Gloria in Patri”, and made a very professional sound. Of special mention was the movement “Laudate Dominum” and Helen Bailey’s lyrical introduction to the chorus. The Vespers were brought to an end with a rousing Amen, and the musicians were greeted with enthusiastic applause.
Only the first movement of the Requiem was written in its entirety by Mozart. Due to his failing health, the rest of the work was completed posthumously by others, based on Mozart’s musical shorthand notes, and recollections from his pupils. Nevertheless, Mozart’s genius shines through.
The requiem started with the Kyrie. David Burgess dictated a brisk pace, and the basses, followed by the other parts, responded with spirit. Many of the movements had fast running passages which the choir executed well. In the Confutatis and the Agnus the choir treated us us to some lovely softer singing. The orchestra played sensitively throughout; of special mention were the fast passages in the Dies Irae and Recordare which were brilliantly played by the lower and upper strings respectively. Another delightful passage was the duet between the trombone and the baritone soloist in the Tuba Mirum.
At the end, it was clear that the musicians and the audience had thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Pulling together an event like this, where choirs and orchestra rehearse separately until near the performance, is no mean achievement. This was an outstanding event, and credit should be given to David Burgess, Paul Timms and Graham Kidd who rehearsed the individual choirs.
Keith Tomkinson and Mike Rowland
2015
Review of WCMF concert at Winchester Cathedral on Saturday 16th May
.
Once again the festival has brought together choirs from Botley, Compton and Shawford, Sarisbury and Winchester to perform together works they have rehearsed separately over several months.
The concert, which was masterfully conducted by John Sutton, began with Hubert Parry’s splendid ‘Blest Pair of Sirens’. This challenging work demands a sense of majestic scale to which the choir responded well. Parry’s word-painting was well caught in quieter moments, while the choir rose to the sustained demands of a climactic ending.
Brahms’s German Requiem is based on Biblical texts, but has perhaps more to do with the consolation of the bereaved and the dying, than the offering of a Mass for the departed Soul. The overall atmosphere Brahms calls for is one of warmth and reassurance. This was achieved in a gentle and restrained opening by the choir and orchestra.
The next movement, ‘Behold, all flesh is as the grass’ emphasises the transience and brevity of life. Its insistent rhythms were firmly delivered, as was the change of mood in ‘the ransomed of the Lord’.
The baritone soloist Andrew de Silva conveyed well the opening sense of fear, and then of acceptance, in ‘Lord let me know mine end’. ‘How lovely are Thy dwellings’ proved to be one of the best movements. It calls for a clear and firm but mellifluous tone combined with gentle but distinct phrasing which is hard to achieve, but which the choir rose to very convincingly.
The sustained phrases of ‘Ye now have sorrow’ were beautifully sung by the soprano soloist Helen Bailey, with great warmth and clarity. The choir rose to this and produced some of the clearest and best phrased passages of the evening.
The final movement of this work echoes the opening, with its restrained affirmation of a state of grace for the departed. The choir and orchestra produced effective quiet contrasts here, leading to the crescendo which faded to the final chord of gentle acceptance.
Once again, the Winchester Festival Orchestra and choirs, their conductors and accompanists rose to the considerable demands of melding several choirs together; and they all deserve credit for the effort this requires.
Geoffrey Bennetts
Review of WCMF concert at Romsey Abbey on Saturday 9th May 2015
Romsey Abbey with the Winchester and County Music Festival has had to buy some more staging in order to accommodate the large and growing choirs which form part of the Winchester and County Music Festival – the first of whose concerts in its 94th season was on Saturday evening. There is no doubt that Hampshire is blessed with a variety of choral societies. A number of them joined forces to sing Handel’s Messiah – one of the staples of the choral repertoire.
For the most part, the choirs managed pretty well with the choruses. They produced a full sound and sang enthusiastically. Whilst some entries were a bit timid, once in full sail they clearly enjoyed themselves and were clearly familiar with the music. There were times when it felt like everyone was singing at their own speed with their heads buried in the copies. So when the choirs sang the chorus “All we like sheep have gone astray”, it felt a bit like a confession rather than a chorus! But Derek Beck the conductor did his best to keep everyone together, ably accompanied by the orchestra who maintained a light touch throughout.
There were some notable performances from the soloists. The tenor, Matthew Long, sang with stunning power as well as sensitivity and a quite gorgeous clarity of tone, allowing the words and music to speak through his outstanding voice. He is surely one to watch for the future. And soprano Alison Hill, whose voice was the musical equivalent of a pool of shimmering spring water – clear, innocent and glorious in tone is a real talent in the making. Some of her high sustained notes were spine-tinglingly good.
All in all, an enjoyable evening. It wasn’t the best rendition of Handel’s Messiah I have heard by a long stretch, but it was one of the most enthusiastically delivered performances and for that we must be grateful to both the choirs, and the tenacity and passion of those who organise this wonderful festival each year.
Unknown
2014
Review of WCMF concert at Winchester Cathedral on Saturday 10th May
This concert was an unusual treat, providing the opportunity to hear two works which are not performed as often as they deserve. Also, since Stanford was Vaughan Williams’ composition teacher, there was a special chance for comparison.
Once again, the organisers of the Festival, and especially Derek Beck, achieved the feat of getting separately rehearsed choirs — from Itchen Valley, Overton, Sarisbury, Twyford and Winchester — to produce very good performances. The soloists — Cecilia Osmond, soprano, and Stephen Gadd, baritone — added considerable lustre, their graceful yet powerful strength of tone often soaring over the combined forces of full choir and orchestra to wonderful effect.
C. V. Stanford’s ‘Songs of the Fleet’ are settings of poems by Henry Newbolt. In these Stephen Gadd gave clear accounts of youthful expectation, the enthusiasms of service life and leadership, and in the last song, the sadness of the loss of comrades. These achieved the needed depth of feeling and clear changes of mood. In these, the choir sang refrains which echoed each verse very movingly, especially in the last song, ‘Farewell’.
The thrilling fanfare and choir opening of Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony — ‘Behold, the sea’ is surely one of the most vivid evocations of the power of the sea in music, and this set the tone of a lyrical and moving performance. For Whitman, there is spiritual significance in the universality of the seas, to which all nations and people are linked, and ultimately recognise their ‘vast similitude’. After the first movement’s stunning opening, Cecilia Osmond’s solo passages declaiming the ‘flags of nations’ came over with ringing clarity. In the reflective second movement ‘On the beach at night alone’, the semi-chorus (provided by the chamber choir Viva Voces) provided beautifully balanced support to Stephen Gadd’s thoughtful solo work; this contrasted vividly with the strong ‘vast similitude’ entry by the full chorus, carrying Whitman’s words powerfully. In the third movement, the tempo makes great demands on orchestra and choir alike, and both conveyed the sea’s restless movement. In the longer last movement, ‘The Explorers’, VW uses all the resources to declaim the journey of the soul, and choir and orchestra achieved wonderful climaxes, with the soloists carrying long lines over full forces with great power. Inner choir parts were often very impressive. The Festival orchestra provided effective and often thrilling support throughout, as always.
Many thanks for a truly exciting and rewarding performance!
Geoffrey Bennetts
Review of WCMF concert at Romsey Abbey on Saturday 17th May
The Winchester and County Music Festival is a wonderful institution. The sheer thrill of assembling choral societies from around the county, and have them marshalled so well together is a reminder of the strength of music and choral singing in this area.
In the second of their two concerts, performed in Romsey Abbey, we were treated to two contrasting pieces. The first a requiem by Bob Chilcott . Chilcott is a craftsman with tuneful, flowing melodies and the work was reminiscent of Faure, Rutter, Vaughan Williams and Herbert Howells – all English favourites, and Chilcott can stand alongside them on merit. He is fast becoming an established favourite with choirs and rightly so. His Requiem was beautiful and evocative, but never sentimental and dealt with the difficult issue of expressing death and dying in a poignant, positive, serene and uplifting way.
Helen Bailey, the soprano soloist, soared effortlessly above the choir and orchestra who played and sang as if they had been performing together for months, rather than just a couple of rehearsals. Sometimes the choir were a little timid with this less familiar piece and some of the soprano entries suffered as a result and sounded strained and under supported.
Nevertheless, they quickly recovered for the second half, Mendelssohn’s Hymn of Praise which was sung with great gusto and enthusiasm. This seemed much more in the choirs’ comfort zone. The tenor soloist, Adrian Green, opened up much more in this piece and held his own well in the louder sections although needed a fuller tone to match the music. With a finale, which could only be described as enthusiastic gallop to a rousing close, the choirs and orchestra could congratulate themselves on a job well done.
Revd Tim Sled
2012
Review of WCMF concert at Romsey Abbey on Saturday 19th May
Romsey Abbey shares the annual Winchester and County Music Festival with Winchester Cathedral by hosting participating local choirs in jointly performing choral works which they could not otherwise undertake alone.
This year’s 91st season featured Botley Choral Society, Itchen Valley Choral Society and Sarisbury Choral Society in a performance of two works, Mass in D by Dvorak and Stabat Mater by Karl Jenkins. As part of this year’s Music in Romsey series of concerts and recitals the three choral societies, numbering some one hundred and forty singers, were joined by a Festival Orchestra of amateur and professional musicians together with Belinda Sykes, a professional soprano and oboist who featured in the second half of the concert. The concert was conducted by David Burgess conductor of Botley Choral Society.
Dvorak’s melodious and attractive Mass in D was commissioned for the opening of a private chapel at Luzany Castle, Bohemia in 1887. The piece was originally scored for a small chorus, solo voices and organ and, with the addition of orchestral forces, the reflective mood of the work, mirroring Dvorak’s fondness of nature and the countryside, was perfectly captured with a semi-chorus from the participating choirs and particularly sensitive organ and orchestral accompaniment under the secure direction of David Burgess.
Stabat Mater by Karl Jenkins received its world premier in Liverpool Cathedral in March 2008 and was receiving its first performance in Romsey Abbey. Written in the 13th Century by a Persian poet, the text reflects on the suffering of Mary, mother of Jesus, during his crucifixion, ‘the sorrowful mother was standing’. Karl Jenkins’ work extends across twelve movements six of which are set in Latin and English text and six additional pieces written by Jenkins, or others, in a variety of languages of the period including Aramaic, Arabic and Hebrew, to complement the original poem.
The Eastern atmosphere was heightened by the use of indigenous instruments such as hand drums, tambourine and woodwind to augment the Festival Orchestra. Belinda Sykes was the Soprano soloist whose interpretation of medieval music and Middle Eastern inspired melody provided moments of extreme beauty and deep meditative conviction. Stabat Mater provided a considerable challenge to the Choral Societies and they responded to the drama and deeply reflective nature of the work impeccably. David Burgess conducted the assembled forces with great aplomb, clear direction and authority throughout and the audience responded with prolonged and heartfelt applause at the conclusion of an outstanding concert.
Michael Rowland
2011
Review of WCMF concert at Winchester Cathedral on Saturday 14th May
The Winchester County Music Festival has worked its usual miracle of drawing several choirs together from Twyford, Winchester, Botley and Itchen Valley, to produce a very clear and coherent performance. Haydn’s Creation is a much-loved work, but one that makes substantial demands on both singers and orchestral forces.
Haydn came to oratorio later in life, but inspired by his visits to London, put the wealth of his composing experience into Creation. The vivid contrasts, the humour and the characterisation mark out his particular originality. The opening, with its contrast of the fragmented scoring of “Chaos” and then the explosion of “Light” were both well caught by choir and orchestra.
“A New Created World” was beautifully balanced and “The Lord is Great” was especially effective; the soloists brilliant and accurate and the choir vigorous but clear.
The soloists and orchestra also caught the contrasts and characterisations well. The soprano, Cecilia Osmond, has a clear, bright timbre, and a defined enunciation that carry very well in the cathedral acoustic. Nicholas Mulroy (tenor) was a bright Uriel, declaiming “And God Saw the Light” with clarity and strength. Jamie Hall (bass/baritone) produced warm sounds in his baritone register, and partnered the other soloists very well, – especially in “By Thee With Bliss”.
The Winchester Festival Orchestra, led by Elizabeth Flower, deserves special mention as its clear, precise playing and grasp of dynamics combined sensitivity with accuracy. The directors of the choirs had clearly put much work into the training. Special credit must go to Derek Beck, who as well as conducting the performance, brought the choirs and orchestra together so well for the final rehearsals.
This was a very bright and enjoyable performance, and happily one that seemed to be enjoyed by the performers as much as by the audience.
Geoffrey Bennetts
Review of WCMF concert in Romsey Abbey on Saturday 7th May
The Winchester and County Music Festival celebrates its 90th birthday this year. Its great strength is that it trumpets the simple piece of good news: that singing – and choral singing – is alive and well and thriving in Hampshire.
On Saturday night, tier upon tier of local choral singers had the opportunity of joining forces and singing in Romsey Abbey, ably accompanied by a local amateur orchestra – some of whose players produced sounds worthy of a professional orchestra pit.
In a stirring performance of Bach’s St John Passion, they ably negotiated some challenging music with great skill and bundles of enthusiasm and commitment. Much of the story of the passion is narrated by a solo tenor – the Evangelist. This was one of the finest renditions of the Evangelist I have heard, as the tenor Simon Wall not only recounted the story with pace and a lightness of touch and a silken voice which seemed to float out over the audience, but had the capacity to draw you into the story as if you were sitting round a camp fire listening to this great tale unravel. His understanding of the text and the drama the conveyed meant that the words of the story came to the fore in an often spine-tingling and engaging way. The internationally renowned bass Michael George also did not disappoint as Christ with every brief interjection he delivered was with the depth, thought and gravitas needed. Both of them were accompanied very sensitively and unobtrusively by a fine continuo section of the orchestra.
The key to understanding Bach’s music is that he is seeking to convey a story, and through different combinations of voices and instruments, of giving the listener the chance to reflect on the story personally. This was a story well told and with colour and light and shade from both choir and orchestra, the full gamut of emotions which Bach masterfully expresses were well conveyed to a full and enthusiastic Abbey audience.
This was far from a faultless performance, but it was made up for by two lots of passions. The first, of course, of Bach’s , and the second of the palpable passion of local amateur music groups coming together and proving just how important local amateur music-making is and how it is vital that it continues to have a platform for concerts such as this. Here’s to the next 90 years!
Rev Tim Sledge
2010
Review of WCMF concert at Winchester Cathedral on Saturday 8th May
The choice of Verdi’s Requiem was ideal for the opening concert of this year’s Winchester and County Music Festival in Winchester Cathedral.
The four choirs, Compton and Shawford Festival Choir, Itchen Valley Choral Society, Twyford Singers and Winchester City Festival Choir, with an excellent orchestra led by Elizabeth Flower, were conducted by Derek Beck
Although Verdi disclaimed any religious feeling, his music successfully captures both the dramatic intensity of the overall work and the spirituality and devotion of the very varied text.
The chorus sang with total security and showed the results of excellent preparation.
The double choir Sanctus was buoyant, the massive Dies irae sections dramatic and forceful, and the more subdued Requiem Aeternam and Lacrymosa were sung with rich tone and full expression.
The final, fugal Libera Me was both accurate and unflagging in effort, a testament to the chorus’s stamina and confidence. The solo quartet was well matched in its ensembles and sang with great musicality and expression.
Each member had their high spot; Claire Seaton (soprano) radiant in the final Requiem aeternam and the duet, Recordare, with Deborah Miles-Johnson (mezzo-soprano), who also sang the Liber Scriptus with glorious tone. Andrew MacKenzie-Wicks (tenor) joined them in a thoughtful trio, Quid Sum Miser, and was ideally suited to the appealing Ingemisco, and Michael Bundy (bass) was warm and authoritative in the long lines of the Confutatis. Both soloists and chorus were supported securely and sensitively by the large orchestra and their performance deserves a special mention.
Derek Beck’s conducting was firm, well-paced and persuasive and he, the choirs and their conductors must be congratulated on an uplifting performance.
Francis Wells
Review of WCMF concert at Romsey Abbey on Saturday 15th May
The Choral Societies of Botley, Overton and Sarisbury met in Romsey Abbey for the 89th year of the Winchester and County Music Festival to perform two works under their conductor, David Burgess, with soloists Elinor Carter and Jimmy Holliday.
Maurice Durufle’s Requiem was written in 1947 and is a challenging piece for amateur choirs. Based largely on Gregorian plainsong from the Mass for the Dead, it requires secure rhythmic control to manage the constantly changing metres of the music. Much of the time the choirs acquitted themselves well and achieved a sense of easy flow and sensitive musical shape, assisted by the abbey’s warm acoustic. There was a good balance overall within the ensemble, and the contrasting moods of the music were conveyed successfully, with a particularly striking climax in the Sanctus Dominus.
The second work of the programme was John Rutter’s Magnificat. Here, the performers relished the rhythmic vitality and infectious melodic writing, but also gave a very good account of themselves in the more intense and lyrical style of Rutter’s writing in the quieter movements. Soloist Elinor Carter sang with consummate ease and was accompanied beautifully by both choir and orchestra.
Conductor, David Burgess, directed with clear intentions throughout and controlled the forces at his disposal, maintaining a tight sense of ensemble and effective balance between singers and orchestra.
Jeffrey Williams
2009
Review of WCMF concert at Winchester Cathedral on Saturday 9th May
This was a rare opportunity to experience two composers’ very individual interpretations in the genre of the ‘War Requiem’. Both are by turns moving, reflective, and passionate about the futility of war. Both draw on elements of the traditional requiem and sacred texts, often juxtaposing contrasting ideas to make points about the brutality of conflict and the waste of human sacrifice.
The Agnus Dei opening of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ ‘Dona Nobis Pacem’ was sensitively sung by the choir. Anna Dennis’s soaring soprano, with its clear full timbre, carried well over choir and orchestra. The second movement emphasises the destruction of life and livelihood; the choir followed the harsh brass chords with powerful stridency. Then more contrast; the choir’s devout wish that “war … must be utterly lost” was reinforced by the baritone soloist, Alex Ashworth, as a soldier bids a moving final farewell to another.
Perhaps the most effective movement was the last. The baritone’s powerful declamations give way to the more reflective reassurance that “in this place I will give peace”. Especially effective were the brilliance of “Open to me the gates of righteousness” and the “Goodwill toward men” final passage, with an unaccompanied choral cadence sung with great warmth and tenderness.
Karl Jenkins’ “The Armed Man” takes a medieval marching tune and reworks it, adding texts and verses based on the experiences of two world wars. These provide opportunities for contrasting and often dramatic effects. The choral opening was firm and clear, and the canonic entries crisp and generally well enunciated. The Muslim call to prayer by Imam Anas Al-Korj confirmed that the search for peace can be universal.
James Picton-Turbervill, a Cathedral chorister, introduced the Kyrie with its polyphony and Palestrina references, positively and clearly. The rhythmic quality of the Sanctus came across well, as did the drive of the battle scene, with its terminal cacophony, then silence, dramatically broken by the bugler, Army Musician Lawrence Narhkom, sounding the ‘Last Post’.
The orchestra, led by Liz Flowers, displayed the clarity, energy and ensemble vital for these two demanding works. These dramatic and moving performances were a great credit to choirs and conductors alike, and especially to Derek Beck as principal conductor.
Geoffrey Bennetts
Review of WCMF concert at Romsey Abbey on Saturday 16th May
Romsey Abbey was the perfect setting for this year’s annual concert as part of the Winchester and County Music Festival in association with Music in Romsey. The Festival, now in its 88th season, provides an opportunity for small local choirs to combine and perform larger scale choral works than they could undertake alone. This year The Abbey played host to Compton & Shawford Festival Choir, Itchen Valley Choral Society and Winchester City Festival Choir. This resulted in some 150 voices in a performance of Handel’s Sacred Oratorio ‘Judas Maccabaeus’, together with a team of soloists and a Festival Orchestra conducted by John Sutton.
Handel’s Sacred Drama, composed in 1746 and first performed in 1747, tells the story of the attempts of Judas Maccabaeus, a famous Jewish leader to fight off oppressive armies and re-establish religious freedom for the Jews. Handel’s librettist captured the contemporary national mood of triumph and rejoicing in the wake of the victorious outcome of the Duke of Cumberland’s Scottish campaign in 1746.
The three part Oratorio reflecting initial mourning, calls to Arms and eventual victory, was effectively conveyed by the combined choirs. They responded enthusiastically to the well prepared and meticulous direction of John Sutton, whose generally steady speeds enabled the wide ranging emotional feelings of the Israelites to be fully transmitted to the appreciative Abbey audience.
The experienced team of soloists all fulfilled their roles with musical sensitivity and expressiveness throughout the performance. Paul Badley, in the heroic role of Judas Maccabaeus, was particularly declamatory in the well known aria ‘Sound an Alarm’ where his tenor voice, aided by some fine instrumental accompaniment, fully exploited the resonant acoustic of The Abbey. Likewise, Michael Bundy, as Simon, brother to Judas whose sonorous and firm bass voice made an impressive impact in his first aria, ‘Arm, arm ye brave!’ Significantly there is an absence of ‘character roles’ for the two female soloists who sing simply as ‘Israelitish woman’ and ‘Israelitish man’. However their musical contributions are not so disembodied and Handel has perhaps written some of his finest music for their contribution. This was notably evident in the duet ‘Come, ever-smiling beauty’ from Act 1 when Jennifer Shell, soprano and Janet Shell, mezzo-soprano, sang with stylish beauty and exquisite tenderness. Indeed Janet Shell’s clearly focussed voice combined with expressive tone in her aria, ‘Father of Heav’n’ was perhaps a notable highlight from Act 3 together with another duet for the two female soloists singing as part of the famous penultimate chorus ‘See, the conquering hero comes’.
The chamber sized orchestra of professional and amateur players played meticulously throughout and never dominated either soloists or chorus.
The final chorus, ‘Hallelelujah! Amen’, brought this most enjoyable concert to a jubilant and fitting conclusion.
Michael Rowland
2008
Review of WCMF concert at Romsey Abbey on Saturday 10th April
This piece [Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle] is neither small nor solemn lasting well over an hour, and composed as a salon piece accompanied by piano and harmonium, this being Rossini’s last major work, written in 1863 towards the end of his life. Although he later wrote an orchestration, it was good to hear it as it was originally intended, performed by the Choral Societies of Botley, Overton and Sarisbury & Hamble, conducted by David Burgess, as part of the Winchester and County Music Festival.
There was much sensitive singing from the choirs, particularly in the unaccompanied sections, and the words were audible throughout, although some of the faster sections would have benefitted if more of the singers had been watching the conductor. The four soloists Claire Seaton – soprano, Elinor Carter – contralto, Colin Howard – tenor and Jimmy Holliday – bass gave polished performances both as soloists and as an ensemble and were supported throughout by the faultless pianist Rosemary Field, sadly from where I was sitting the harmonium was almost inaudible.
ARA
Review of WCMF concert at Winchester Cathedral on Saturday 17th May
Every year no fewer than seven choirs join forces to sing two concerts in the annual Winchester and County Music Festival. It is a great credit to the choirs and their conductors that they produce coherent performances in this way.
This year the Cathedral concert was J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. One of Bach’s greatest works, its scale and architecture are unparalleled and its varieties of style, with dramatic recitatives, chorale settings, arias and powerful choruses all combine smoothly to give life and pace to the Passion narrative.
Derek Beck, the orchestra and choirs. achieved this with an astute combination of lighter execution and faster tempi, and some deft and dramatic singing by both choir and soloists. Some of the choir’s chorales were very thoughtful and moving. Those movements which combine recitative and chorus were, by turns, vigorous and reflective and provided, together with the action choruses, some of the greatest moments.
There was much beautiful singing by the soloists, too. Simon Wall, as Evangelist, had the most demanding role; but he is clearly well practised in it. Involved, dramatic, but never overdramatic, his controlled but commanding declamation was a delight; always crisp and clear, he carried the other performers and the audience with him. Jimmy Holliday, as Christus, was strong, warm and appropriately passionate.
Nick Pepin, counter tenor, gave moving performances of some of the well-known arias which reflect on the significance of the Passion, Grief for sin and Have mercy, Lord, on me. Alex Ashworth (bass) was convincing as Peter and Judas, and also a thoughtful interpreter of the bass arias. Similarly, Katy Butler and Edward Goater gave expressive renderings of the soprano and tenor arias.
The orchestral and continuo accompaniments were generally clearly and sympathetically executed. The instrumental obbligati by the oboe d/amore, the flutes and particularly the solo violins, were especially warm and clear and complemented the soloists very well.
Geoffrey & Anna Bennetts
2007
Review of WCMF concert at Romsey Abbey on Saturday 12th May
Mozart Requiem
Haydn Mass in time of war
conductor Robert Fielding
The choir….displayed a warm and usually balanced tone quality. The enunciation of the text was generally clear throughout…….strong contrasts in texture came across well. The drama of the Lacrymosa, never easy, was well sustained and the Benedictus sweetly sung.
The soloists (Alice Wratten, Susan Mackenzie-Park, Ian Wicks and Robert Evans) provided wonderfully lyrical, clear and balanced contrast to the choral sections and conveyed a clean sense of line and form. The balance of the soloists and choir throughout was one of the memorable features of very pleasant evening.
G. and A. Bennetts
Review of WCMF concert at Winchester Cathedral on Saturday 19th May
Elgar The Music makers
Elgar The Spirit of England
Elgar Coronation Ode
Conductor Derek Beck
This performance…..was characterised by committed musicianship by choir and orchestra…..and good contrasts between passages of grandeur and reflection. There were some excellent moments, in particular a passage of real tenderness as the choir, unaccompanied, sang ‘A Breath of Our Inspiration’ and a simply beautiful solo by Emily Bauer-Jones, which captured perfectly the sentiments of O’Shaughnessy’s words ‘A light that doth not depart’ (The Music Makers).
Many aspects of The Spirit of England were extremely effective, noticeably the good sense of urgency in the orchestra and articulation of anger by the choir in the opening The Fourth of August.
Throughout, the four soloists (Ana James, Emily Bauer-Jones, Andrew Carwood and William Berger) performed exquisitely and to the highest quality, including a terrifically gung-ho bass rendition of ‘Britain Ask of Thyself’ (Coronation Ode).
Harry White
Thank you…for the Hampshire Chronicle review which really summarises what we all felt about our great concert, the friendliness of everyone and your your appreciation of our contribution….I think we all felt that we got tremendous value for our money! ……Do keep in touch, it would be wonderful to help you again one day.
Andrew Neill (Chairman, the Elgar Society)
It was well worth the lengthy journey involved, and I’m sure all the Elgarians present agreed that it was a splendid concert. Do give our congratulations to the chorus and orchestra…..
Barry Collett (The Elgar Society)
I just wanted to drop you a line to say what a pleasure it was singing for you on Saturday. I thought the concert went really well and thoroughly enjoyed it. Many thanks for making it such a good experience. It was good to see it so well attended as they’re not Elgar’s most obvious and popular works, and what a great audience response – unusual in England for people to be quite so enthusiastic in their applause!!
Emily Bauer-Jones (contralto soloist)