St Mary in the Castle, Hastings, 7 July 2018

With the England team victory earlier tin the day there was much to celebrate that evening, and all the more encouraging then that Hastings Philharmonic was coming to the end of a wonderfully successful season.

If they were letting their hair down just a little it was rarely at the expense of the music, which came across with bold authority throughout.

Though billed as an Opera Gala the first sung items – after an intriguing overture from Francis Rayner – were three songs from Guestling Bradshaw School Choir under their Musical Director Nathan Cline. If there was more enthusiasm than clarity, they gave us an impressively complex rendition of Britten’s Old Abram Brown, and a heartfelt This is me.

Turning to opera, the extracts were essentially based on large choral numbers, though even Hastings Philharmonic Choir would have difficult matching Aida in Verona. In the event the balance proved to be very strong and the male voices cut through with aplomb in the three Verdi choruses. It was a pity not to have anvils for Il Trovatore – maybe this could have been delegated to the audience?

Marcio da Silva regularly manages to disarm us, and on this occasion it was in the Te Deum from Tosca. Expecting the bass to sing Scarpia, I am sure I was not alone to gasp when Marcio turned to us and sang at his most malevolent, the viciously corrupt lines from Scarpia before he turns to pray with the chorus. I suspect the chorus may have been as taken aback as we were, for they totally lost their entry, but Marcio was able to recover the timing with ease and the final bars radiated as they should.

The three soloists brought very different accomplishments. Turkish bass Vedat Dalgiran gave us an impressive Sorastro and Boris, and the only less familiar item in the programme, Il lacerato Spirito from Simone Boccanegra. Tenor Leonel Pinheiro has a strong beat to his voice but his heroic enthusiasm in Nessun Dorma coupled with a magnificent Vincero at the end, carried all before him. Of course the linking of Nessun Dorma to the world cup was not lost on this audience.

Soprano Lin Westcott seems to go from strength to strength, giving us a lyrical reading of the Easter Hymn from Cavalleria Rusticana and a gently moving Vilja ­– for which we were all invited to join in the chorus.

Francis Rayner accompanied throughout from the piano, joined by Debbie Warren on keyboard. If this produced some interesting effects, it was particularly helpful in the many religious items.

It has been a splendid year and the plans for 2018-19 look equally encouraging, with the opening concert of the new season at St Mary in Castle on Friday 12 October.

Opus Theatre, Hastings, Saturday 30 June 2018

One could never complain that the Opus Theatre’s world series is not eclectic. On Saturday we heard Eastern European folk music from a Balkan group, Blato Zlato¸ who come from New Orleans and perform throughout the world.

Their style is certainly demanding from the first moment. While they draw on a wide range of musical styles the core of their work is Bulgarian folk music and the intensity and power that that implies. Vocal lines are frequently hurled into the theatre and the accompaniment, including a large drum, is never less than assertive.

Blato Zlato were formed in 2015 and their first album was entitled Swamp Gold – the English translation of the group’s name. The items they sang for us were loosely described but in the main we were left to simply enjoy the virtuosity of the musicians. The group is made up of four women and two men, with three of the women providing all the vocal lines as well as the crucial accordion accompaniment, while the fourth woman plays the drum and the two men the fiddle and electric bass.

Within this potentially limited palette they create a wide range of musical impact, with extended improvisations from the fiddle and splendid solos for slapped bass. There were a number of a cappella items for the solo female voices which highlighted not only their amazing accuracy of tone but also the subtle differences of texture in their voices. As bagpipes are often used in Bulgarian folk music the instrumentalists were able to produce an effective drone for some of the songs.

The first half included the internationally famous Izlel e Delyo Haidutin, which was recorded for and included in the NASA Voyager flight in 1977, and later we heard their own composition Doncho I Stenata which was recently released as the second side of a single with the earlier song.

In addition to the Bulgarian numbers we heard music from Serbia and Georgia. It is this latter country which effectively brought them to Hastings, as it was there they met Oliver Poole, who invited them to be part of the world series – and a great asset they have proved to be.

Christ Church, Hastings, 23 June 2018

An a capella concert can be demanding for both performers and audience, but Marcio da Silva had created a fine balance of pieces which flowed dexterously and held our attention with ease.

The singers of Hastings Philharmonic Chamber Choir were arranged in an open circle at the front of Christ Church and the interplay of voices was constantly crisp and alert to the text. Though the programme did not have a printed translation, members of the choir read the English versions immediately before each piece; a practice which proved to be very effective.

The evening opened with Schutz’ Selig sind die Toten with its rich Venetian harmonies before the cleaner lines of Bach’s reflective Jesu meine Freude. By contrast Brahms’ In stiller nacht was given by an octet, with gently hushed phrases and a romanticism which belied the spiritual nature of the text.

Rheinberger’s more familiar Abendlied allowed the top sopranos to demonstrate the security of their tessitura, before Reger’s Nachtlied. Though this is a late work, dating from 1914, its musical line has a clear ancestry through Bach and Mendelssohn. The first half ended with Mozart’s well-known Ave verum corpus where the transparent lines seemed to lift seamlessly into the air.

The major part of the second half was given over to six motets by Bruckner. The range of styles here was interesting with the composer happy to revert almost three centuries for O Justi and yet reflect Wagner in Locus Iste. Before this we heard a heart-warming rendition of Schubert’s Die Nacht, for men’s chorus and the evening concluded with an arrangement of Mahler’s Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen from his Ruckert Lieder. This was by far the most complex setting of the evening and one which tested the singers to their limits. That they rewarded us with such a fine interpretation, rich, moving and entirely lyrical, was a tribute to them and Marcio da Silva.

Throughout, Francis Rayner had provided discrete organ accompaniment where needed, and the acoustic had proved to be a very favourable venue for unaccompanied voices.

The final concert in this year’s Hastings Philharmonic season comes on Saturday 7 July when they will present an Opera Gala at St Mary in the Castle.

De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill, Thursday 7 June 2018

We were promised Colourful Classics and colourful they certainly were – though the visual impact was anything but! The hall was in darkness for the concert, with the stage curtained in black and the orchestra is evening dress. Added to this the stage was heavily back lit so that Brian Wright, raised on the conductor’s podium, looked like a figure from Fantasia.

Happily none of this affected the genial mood and the joy of the music-making. The evening opened with Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture more popularly known as Fingal’s Cave. For once the difficult acoustic played into Brian Wright’s hands as the strings sang out with gentle fluidity and the wind and brass seemed mellowed behind. It was ideal for this work and seemed perfectly in keeping with a concert by the sea. Perhaps on another occasion it might be possible to leave the side curtains open so that we could see out as well as in?

At this point we might expect to go straight to the concerto but we were given a short reflective pause with Elgar’s Elegy Op58. This brief work hints at much more than it shows, and the reflections of late Wagner and even Sibelius make it all the more effective.

Violinist Benjamin Baker’s relaxed stance should not lull anyone into thinking he is anything other than one of the finest young musicians today. His playing of the Tchaikovsky violin concerto was as exciting and musically enthralling as any other soloist I can recall. Unafraid of the full blooded romanticism of the score he yet found a nocturnal introspection in the slow movement which was captivating. The orchestra were more than up to his intensity and speed – what a tempi for the final movement! – it was only a pity he was not able to give us an encore.

If Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony seemed somewhat calmer after the interval this was only by way of comparison, for Brian Wright found the fire as well as the dance which runs throughout the score.

The funereal overtones of the Allegretto took us back to the Elgar while the final movement sprang to life with the joy of the earlier works.

The house was full – fuller than I recall for many years – and totally justified by the quality of what we experienced.

St Peter’s Church, Bexhill Sunday 3^rd June 2018

Standing outside St Peter’s as Evensong drew to a close, one could hardly have wished for a more perfect Sussex summer evening. Happily the programme provided by Sussex Concert Orchestra mirrored this warmth and enjoyment.

The performance opened with Faure’s familiar but none the less welcome Pavane, whose warmth and light in the excellent acoustic of the church proved immediately appealing. This was followed by Bach’s Suite for Flute and Strings BWV 1067 with Daisy Noton the accomplished flute soloist. The opening section of the Overture and the later Sarabande were unexpectedly slow and grave – the latter coming close to the intensity of the St Matthew Passion. Elsewhere there was a strong attacking edge in the Rondeaux and very lively rhythms in the Bourees and concluding Badinerie.  One of the more complex results of the acoustic was that the soloist seemed to move in and out of the orchestral sound, at times shining brightly above them while at others almost being engulfed by the strings though never creating any sense of an unbalanced effect. It was very impressive and sensitive throughout.

After the interval we heard Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony. Kenneth Roberts approach to this was intense and often quite aggressive. Tempi and dynamics were frequently on the fast and loud side, particularly in what is normally the slow movement. There were times it felt as though we were tourists in the countryside rather than ramblers – an interesting and not unconvincing approach. The speed was maintained through the exhilaration of the storm – with the piccolo rasping its way above the onslaught – and the subsequent rejoicing, which was enthusiastic rather than romantic.

A fine evening with a full house – and rightly so.

De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill, Saturday 12 May 2018

Brahms’ Requiem was written for large scale forces. Moreover, it is not a Requiem in the conventional sense as the composer creates a series of meditations based on Biblical texts rather than following the liturgical structure. This should make it more acceptable to a wider audience given the lack of religious belief today and particularly so when it is sung in English.

The performance certainly had the benefit of clarity. Placing the Sussex Concert Orchestra on the floor of the hall with the chorus gently raked behind them, but all in front of the proscenium arch, made for immediacy and helped the impact of the text throughout.

The soloists in particular benefitted from this with Lucy Ashton producing limpidly beautiful tone in Ye now are sorrowful and John Morgan bringing passion and weight to Lord, make me to know and a fine sense of attack to Here on earth.

Brahms really needs larger orchestral forces than were here available though there was some fine playing from harpist Alex Rider and the balance held up well.

The choral forces unfortunately were not as well balanced on this occasion. While the altos produced some fine singing throughout, there were times when the other sections did not make the same level of impact. Tenors and basses made a positive sound singing together but when they were required to sing solo lines they lacked the weight to do so. The sopranos certainly had the right numbers but often sounded hesitant, singing just under the note. When lines flowered with confidence they were fine but often the beauty of Brahms’ lyricism was not in evidence.

Kenneth Roberts guided the whole performance with a convincing sense of pace and dynamic, though as noted the choir were not always up to the emotional outpouring the score requires.

We have heard many fine performances in the past from Bexhill Choral Society and if this was not up to their usual standard we can hope for the future.