Monthly Archives: April 2014

The Regency Singers

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The Regency Singers gave a Spring Concert at St Luke’s Church last Saturday. In many ways this was a sad occasion for it was to be the last time Stephen Page acted as Musical Director and Conductor for the group, but there was no sense of depression in the air for an eclectic range of song and instrumental music.

They opened with Bridge Over Troubled Water, followed by Moon River and Take the A train – all geared to helping us relax, sit back and enjoy. Two items from Les Miserables followed, with the men obviously in their element with Do you hear the people sing. 

Elgar’s As torrents in summer made a refreshing interlude and led gently in The gypsy rover.  Pianist Andrew Daniels, who accompanied throughout, vamped his way delightfully through The Sunny side of the Street before the meater offering of a selection from Evita. 

Fine renditions of You Raise Me Up and All Things Bright and Beautiful in the John Rutter setting, brought us to a more serious point in the afternoon and this slipped into a three minute overview of the whole of western music.

With the Samuel F Dallady organ now fully restored and in superb condition it was good to hear Stephen Page play a Bach Arioso. The tremulant is now back to its original condition and its soft, almost hesitant, impact is superb.

A medley from Joseph and Rutter’s Blessing brought the afternoon to a close, just in time for tea and cake.

Those wishing to hear the Dalladay organ in full flow will be welcome at St Luke’s for a concert on Saturday 26 April, which will also include the book-launch of Organs of 1066 Country which includes a biography of the organ-builder.

April CDs / DVDs

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CBSO

Mendelssohn in Birmingham

CBSO, Edward Gardner

CHANDOS CHSA 5132     66:04

An interesting way of bringing familiar works together, though the evidence that any of these works was actually performed by the composer in Birmingham is not forth-coming. That Mendelssohn worked regularly and to critical acclaim in the city is without doubt, and the CBSO under Edward Gardner bring us lively and committed readings of all of the works here. Listen to the hushed opening of the Hebrides Overture to get a flavour of the sound world evoked.

turtle dove

The Voice of the Dove

The Sixteen

CORO COR16119               70:58

The Sixteen, in their usual fine form, turn their attention to lesser known composers of Renaissance polyphony, drawing on works from the Eton Choirbook. There are three extended compositions by Davy and Mundy, while the rest comprises shorter antiphons. A captivating glimpse of rarely heard works.

string qus

Shostakovich: Complete quartets

Borodin Quartet

MELODIA MELCD 1001077   

This release brings together the complete string quartets Nos 1-15 alongside the Piano Quintet and two pieces for string octet. Where Shostakovich is more popularly known for his symphonies, string quartets were a vital part of his output over the whole of his creative life. The recordings date from the 1980s but there is no indication of their age in the transfer. The Borodin quartet are joined by Sviatoslav Richter for the Piano Quintet. The accompanying notes are verbose and very poorly translated; one is advised to simply listen to fine performances.

CPE Bach 2

CPE Bach: Piano Concertos

Michael Rische, Rainer Maria Klaas, piano; Kammersymphonie, Leipzig

HANSSLER CD 98.027      58:47

Delightful, sprightly playing from the two pianists and well balanced accompaniment from the Leipzig Kammersymphonie. Entertaining throughout.

vivaldi bassoon

Vivaldi: 5 concertos for Bassoon, strings and basso continuo

Valery Popov, bassoon; State Chamber Orchestra of the Belorussian SSR, Valery Polyansky

MELODIA MELCD 1002098

A new recording of works which are today more familiar than they were a few years ago. With so many concerti to choose from it is not wonder that, even now, we are presented with charming works we have never come across before. Recommended.

Raff 2

Joachim Raff: Symphony No5, overtures

Orchestra de la Suisse Romande, Neeme Jarvi

CHANDOS CHSA 5135     80:55

I have only recently discovered Joachim Raff and am constantly amazed that he is not far more familiar in our concert halls. Those who love late romantic compositions – Dvorak, Smetana, Tchaikovsky – can’t fail to like this collection of works from an exhilarating overture to Dame Kobold written in 1869 to the more expansive pleasure of the 5th Symphony. Though it has a conventional structure, it is strongly programmatic, being based on Burger’s poem Lenore and reflecting the tensions of the Franco-Prussian war.

Death in Venice

Britten: Death in Venice

ENO

OPUS ARTE OA 1130 D   153:00

I recall this being a highlight of my visits to the London Coliseum last year – the full review is available elsewhere on the site – and the DVD does ample justice to the production and all involved. Don’t be put off at the beginning if the image seems a little blurred – John Graham-Hall is behind a front cloth! Highly recommended.

Trainee Conductor

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GCU Trainee

 

Top London choir Goldsmiths Choral Union is offering a young musician the chance to shadow and study with their Music Director, Brian Wright. The new role is designed for a student conductor as a two-season Apprenticeship starting in September 2014. Most student choral conducting tuition concentrates on the ‘a cappella’ repertoire. This is a unique opportunity to study the large-scale ‘symphonic’ choral repertoire and techniques, including 30 individual lessons per season. At the end of the second season it is envisaged the appointee would conduct at a concert.

The deadline for applications is 9 May 2014.

Full details and the application procedure can be downloaded at

www.goldsmithschoral.org.uk

Position of Trainee Conductor
This new role is designed for a student conductor as a two season
Apprenticeship starting in September 2014. Most student choral
conducting tuition concentrates on the “a cappella” repertoire. This is
a unique opportunity to study the large-scale “symphonic” choral
repertoire and techniques with GCU’s renowned music staff.
The appointment will be decided by short list, interview and practical
competition, with choir members involved in the choice. The
appointee will shadow the Music Director Brian Wright and also receive
tuition from him of approximately 30 lessons per season before GCU’s
Wednesday evening rehearsals at Baden Powell House in South
Kensington.
From time to time the appointee will conduct part of a full rehearsal
as a supervised session. He/she will also have the opportunity to direct
supervised sectional rehearsals. If a pianist, GCU’s accompanist
Stephen Jones will mentor choir accompaniment skills. At the end of
the second season it is envisaged the appointee would conduct at a
GCU concert.
Goldsmiths Young Voices Project
In addition, GCU has an ambition to establish Goldsmiths Young Voices,
a SATB youth choir based in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
The new choir could have a regular slot in GCU’s Christmas carol
concerts and participate in any of GCU’s concerts that require young
voices, as well as developing its own repertoire from popular
arrangements, as on “The Choir”, to more classical fare. This project
is currently in the early ‘concept stage’, and the Trainee Conductor
would be closely involved in its development, helping bring the idea
into reality, as well as training and conducting the Young Voices.