St Mary in the Castle, 11 November 2017

Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea seems uncomfortably relevant with its abuse of power and sex, moral corruption, disdain for the law and sudden death. In the key scene between Seneca and Nero, the Emperor makes it quite clear that the law is only for little people. Those who have power can do what they like – and they do.

That Monteverdi envelops his narrative in such wonderful music is all the more disturbing. At the end, evil is seen to triumph as the radiant final duet is given to the two most corrupt individuals, with no sense that they will ever suffer for their iniquities as would become the norm in later opera.

Jenny Miller’s production universalises the action and Vicky Turner’s costumes create a seemingly egalitarian, if corrupt, society where Poppea is literally the one scarlet woman. The production utilises the space at St Mary’s with subtlety and the voices never lose out regardless of where the singers are placed.

The large cast is drawn from strength with much exceptionally pleasing singing. Sarah Parkin’s Poppea is an easy foil for Lucilla Graham’s slippery Nerone, their voices aptly complementary and radiant in the final pages. Michal Aloni as Ottavia brings a sense of moral worth even as she is emotionally challenged by all around her. Her final scene is genuinely moving, but we know she is lucky to escape alive.  Of the two male leads, Tobias Odenwald lends vocal gravitas to Seneca and his height gives him added authority. By contrast Matthew Paine’s shifty Ottone highlights the ease with which moral laxity can set in. Whether Hannah Jones’ supportive Drusilla will ever be able to make anything of him is left to our imagination.

Of the many smaller parts the two soldiers, Vincent Martinez and Brian McAlea, are particularly impressive vocally and one wished they had more to do. Sarah Dunbar made much of three smaller parts, her acting ability matching a well-focused voice. Natasha Elliot surprised with her gentle comedy and clear articulation as the nurse Arnalta, a part normally taken by an aging tenor!

Lesley Anne Sammons and Nicholas Bosworth accompanied from keyboards which allowed us a range of instruments, with the harp/lute being particularly effective. They were joined by Lucy Mulgan on double bass and Evelyn Nallen on recorders to create a positive small ensemble and one which worked well within the warm acoustic.

There was a large and enthusiastic audience – a pleasure to report given the increasing number of high quality performances we are now experiencing in Hastings.

St Mary in the Castle, Saturday 4 November 2017

The first choral concert of the season from Hastings Philharmonic brought together an eclectic programme which proved to be both well balanced and finely honed.

Just to prove that Marcio da Silva is not totally indispensable to the ensemble, the string orchestra played Mozart’s Serenata Notturna K239 without him at the podium, which is certainly authentic for the period. Leader Angela Jung guided them with ease from the first desk and maintained a brisk tempi throughout and a continuing sense of warmth and affection for the score. The solo work was exemplary and even off-stage fireworks failed to crash the musical line.

Britten’s Cantata Misericordium dates from soon after the War Requiem and uses similar, if cut-down, forces, with the tenor and baritone soloists balancing the weight of the chorus. Set in Latin, it was good to find we had a complete translation and were thus able to follow the sensitivity of the setting. A non-conformist approach to the parable of the Good Samaritan, it stresses the humanitarian rather than spiritual aspects of the story, though it is difficult to ignore the obvious modern, and overtly spiritual, aspects of the whole piece. The choir had obviously wrestled with the setting, which is not an easy sing, but managed to do justice to the piece and produce a number of moments of real splendour.

After the interval the orchestra excelled themselves in a ravishing performance of Elgar’s Serenade for Strings.  Though I have known the work for more than half a century I can’t recall the slow movement more beautifully played. The beauty of Elgar’s line encloses hints of the transience of life – never edging over into the melancholy which came so often in his later works, but hinted here nevertheless.

Two psalm settings by Holst seemed almost prosaic by comparison though that would be an insult to fine pieces, finely performed. The choir were far more comfortable here and ready for the leap into Schubert’s Mass in G D167, which he wrote at the tender age of 18. Though a brief work it is full of radiant music, allowing the soloists to shine again as they had earlier. Soprano Helen May filled the building with richly glowing tone, the top of the voice thrilling as it floated above the choir.

In the Britten, tenor Kieran White and baritone, Jolyon Loy, had taken the parts written for Peter Pears and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau with great sensitivity and beauty of line. The final moments of sleep now seem to reflect the War Requiem and there is a moving outcry from the wounded Jew as the musical line mirrors Gerontius. In the Schubert they were equally adroit and moving.

Throughout, Marcio da Silva brought what we have come to expect of him – precision and passion. We are lucky to have him with us.

The next Hastings Philharmonic concert is on Saturday 2 December at Christ Church St Leonards when the Baroque choir will sing Stabat Mater’s by Pergolesi and Scarlatti.

Hastleons, White Rock Theatre, Hastings, 18 October 2017

Resisting the urge to pull on the leg warmers  and lycra I joined the audience for an entertaining and uplifting evening courtesy of the Hastleons . The show is based on the film, rather than the television series that many of us grew up with. Consequently I found that early on I was mentally renaming some of the characters to fit with the ones in my memory. However, I soon found I no longer needed to do so as every character, without exception, was played with such conviction. The nature of the show – charting the progress of a group of students at the New York School for Performing Arts – calls for a particularly youthful  cast with just a few parts for the longer established members as the school’s staff. Interactions between staff and students were realistic, with differing relationships just as in any school setting.

This is very much a song and dance show and, as well as some outstanding individual performances, I was most struck by the ensemble numbers. The choreography was very reminiscent of dance from the ‘80s – and gave opportunities for the characters to play to their strengths as well as allowing some characters to be less proficient – just as would be the case where students with a specialism are encouraged/forced to take part in disciplines in which they don’t really shine. (I speak from my own college experience!) The energy and interaction between all of the cast in these numbers was wonderful. So much work must have gone into this and it really paid off.

It is difficult to single out individual performances but I was particularly struck by the young leads Nathan McDonald (Nick Piazza), with the lovely I want to make magic and with his convincing theatrical leanings, and Robyn Nash (Serena Katz) in Let’s play a love scene and her feisty angst.  Kenny Giles worked well as the class clown Joe Vegas and the larger than life (but really rather fragile) Carmen Diaz was brilliantly portrayed by Vanessa King. Amanda Porter (Mabel) surprised us all with her fabulous gospel rendition of Mabel’s Prayer. Thomas Nichols’ portrayal of the troubled but finally redeemed Tyrone Jackson worked extremely well – at times full of fire and anger, and at other times quietly resolute. Rapping can be a difficult task but he did it with force and conviction. Tom Golby’s Schlomo was a very endearing character, pulling off another difficult trick, synching his “piano playing” to the band and his attitude at the piano being very convincing.

There were moments in virtually every dance where individuals were doing amazing things.  Just as in an Aardman animation these little background details make all the difference but are often passed over without much comment.

The use of a live band enhances a production so much. The small group of musicians under the direction of Clare Adams, were superb, producing a wide range of sounds and styles, in often up-tempo and complex sounding arrangements. The singing of members of the company was often intricate with solo lines and harmonies appearing from all directions in a fluid and natural way.

A production such as this involves so much time, talent and commitment from those on stage but also from all who have worked behind the scenes and during a long period of preparation. I always enjoy a good musical but how much more enjoyable when it is by a local company, and particularly when so much well established and newly emerging talent is on show. Please support future productions. We will miss them if they disappear.

SP

Emmanuel Centre, Battle, Saturday 21 October 2017

Stephen Page brought a genial mix of music and song to the Emmanuel Centre in Battle as part of this year’s Battle Festival.

The first half was loosely focused on classical, if often very familiar, pieces, opening with Susato’s Mohrentanz – probably the most well-known piece of Tudor music still in the repertoire. The next three works for organ brought together a romantic work by Scotson Clark, his Marche des Fantomes, Buxtehude’s Choral Prelude Now Come Redeemer and the Rondo from Purcell’s Abdelazer.

Stephen then moved to the piano, commencing with a delightful rendition of Chaminade’s Automne, moving through works by Zez Confrey and John Ireland to settle eventually on Bach’s Air on a G string.

Astor Piazolla’s gently melancholic tango Mumuki  gave way to Robert Farnon’s Jumping Bean before he returned to the organ for a rousing rendition of Strauss’ Radetzky March – even if the audience failed to provide the traditional clapping along to the march.

The second half was given over to music from stage and screen, touching on scores from The Lady Killers, The Misson and The Deer Hunter. After the exhilaration of The Entry of the Gladiators the solo part of the evening wound down with Send in the Clowns and the waltz tune from Genevieve. At this point we were invited to join in a sing-along to familiar songs from The King and I, The Sound of Music and My Fair Lady – with the words clearly displayed for us on the overhead screens.

This should have been the end but Stephen was persuaded to provide an encore which he did – singing for us Sydney Carter’s Down Below, whose wistful images send us off home smiling.

St Augustine’s Church, Bexhill on Sea, Saturday 7 October 2017

A Baroque evening, moving from London to Venice with delights from Purcell to Vivaldi. If the most polished part of the evening came from the instrumentalists rather than the choir it may have been a result of the long summer break rather than any lack of musicality. Albinoni’s Double Oboe Concerto with Ruth Elias and Susan Hutton as soloists was polished and pleasing throughout, forming a suitable point of repose between Monteverdi’s Beatus Vir and Vivaldi’s Magnificat RV610.

Both of these larger choral works had a good sense of pace and the collective impact was secure.

In the first half the opening scene from Purcell’s The Fairy Queen allowed Peter Grevatt to combine his acting skills as a convincing drunk with his familiar rich baritone. This was equally impressive in his brief scene from Dido and Aeneas which brought some bright choral singing and fine solo work. Lucy Ashton – moving from Paris to Carthage – was artfully seductive as Belinda; Judith Buckle was a richly voiced Sorceress and Susannah Appleyard a moving Dido for the final lament. The choir were at their best in Purcell’s brief upbeat choruses but had some difficulty maintaining the line in the two anthems. Rejoice in the Lord Always was aided by sound solo work and some fine string playing. While some of the more reflective moments of Jehova, quam multi sunt hostes mei were pleasingly together, many of the entries appeared to be simply under-rehearsed. The men have certainly sounded much stronger in recent concerts. A pity – for the choir have an excellent history of well-focused performances and I am sure will impress us again at Christmas when they return for their Carol Concert at St Augustine’s on Saturday 9 December.