Concert review April 2008
Our Concert on April 26th 2008 was reviewed in the Bucks Herald and the review is reproduced here:
Choral society is in fine form
Aylesbury Choral Society was on superlative form for a packed out concert at St Mary's Church on Saturday, April 26th 2008. Their programme was all Vivaldi and included two short but delightful concerti played by the Oxford-based period instrument orchestra Frideswide Ensemble.
First up of the choral works was the familiar Gloria, conducted at early music, ie breakneck, speed by Peter Leech: no problem for the accompanists but neither was it for the substantial forces of the choir. This lively work was enhanced by solos and duets from sopranos Katharine Fuge and Ruby Hughes and mezzo Catherine King.
The Kyrie was of course a more sombre piece, again, beautifully sung by the choir.
After the interval came the main event, Vivaldi's lost setting of the Dixit Dominus (RV807) which was only rediscovered three years ago in the University Library at Dresden, having been bound into works by another composer to make up the numbers! This was only the third time it had been performed since Vivaldi's lifetime and the first in the south of England, so was a major coup for the choir. The Dixit Dominus was a more dramatic work than either the Gloria or the Kyrie, with a warlike text about crushing enemies and making them into footstools.
Often when unknown works by great composers are rediscovered they turn out to be relatively minor pieces, but this is a significant piece of music that ranks with Vivaldi's best choral work. Again the choir rose to the occasion with some
fabulous singing, and this time they were joined by the full complement of soloists, now including two tenors, Joseph Cornwell and Philip Salmon,
Overall, this concert was one of the best given by Aylesbury Choral Society in recent years and both a delight and a privilege for the audience.
Joss O’Kelly
April 26 2008
Choral society is in fine form
Aylesbury Choral Society was on superlative form for a packed out concert at St Mary's Church on Saturday, April 26th 2008. Their programme was all Vivaldi and included two short but delightful concerti played by the Oxford-based period instrument orchestra Frideswide Ensemble.
First up of the choral works was the familiar Gloria, conducted at early music, ie breakneck, speed by Peter Leech: no problem for the accompanists but neither was it for the substantial forces of the choir. This lively work was enhanced by solos and duets from sopranos Katharine Fuge and Ruby Hughes and mezzo Catherine King.
The Kyrie was of course a more sombre piece, again, beautifully sung by the choir.
After the interval came the main event, Vivaldi's lost setting of the Dixit Dominus (RV807) which was only rediscovered three years ago in the University Library at Dresden, having been bound into works by another composer to make up the numbers! This was only the third time it had been performed since Vivaldi's lifetime and the first in the south of England, so was a major coup for the choir. The Dixit Dominus was a more dramatic work than either the Gloria or the Kyrie, with a warlike text about crushing enemies and making them into footstools.
Often when unknown works by great composers are rediscovered they turn out to be relatively minor pieces, but this is a significant piece of music that ranks with Vivaldi's best choral work. Again the choir rose to the occasion with some
fabulous singing, and this time they were joined by the full complement of soloists, now including two tenors, Joseph Cornwell and Philip Salmon,
Overall, this concert was one of the best given by Aylesbury Choral Society in recent years and both a delight and a privilege for the audience.
Joss O’Kelly
April 26 2008
