Arts
| NORTH YORKSHIRE |  | | | CLEVELAND | | | | COUNTY DURHAM | | |
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Guisborough Choral Society: St Nicholas’ Church, Guisborough
A FINE feast of music was served
up by Guisborough Choral Society
under the baton of Olwen
Cameron, who was standing in for
their regular conductor.
The programme selector is to be
congratulated on an unusual and
interesting mix consisting of items
by William Lloyd Webber, Telemann,
Brahms and Rutter. We
were also treated to a fine performance
on the flute and excellent
organ solo items.
It is rare to hear music by the late
William Lloyd Webber - father of
the famous Andrew and Julian -
who was a very gifted musician
and composer in his own right,
though less often featured than his
famous sons.
By the age of 14, he was well
known in church music circles all
over the country as an organist.
On a scholarship to the Royal
College of Music, he studied composition
with Vaughan Williams,
he gained his diploma at 19. He
later taught at that college, and became
director of the London College
of Music in 1964.
Lloyd Webber's Prince of Peace
got off to an impressive start, with
a soaring kyrie finishing on a soft
tone, a strong and positive gloria,
continuing strongly through the
miserere till the final amen. Then it
was onward and upward to an almost
triumphant sanctus, the men
rendering the benedictus with delicacy.
The sopranos acquitted
themselves well in the subtly-flowing
Agnus Dei.
A Telemann flute sonata was
beautifully delivered by 17-yearold
Jennifer Thornton - definitely
one to watch. It was sheer delight,
with a lively allegro followed by a
flowing slow movement of processional
solemnity, contrasting
strongly with the vivace. Her rendition
of Rutter's Suite Antique for
flute later in the programme, accompanied
by Olwen Cameron,
was a delight of trills and hauntingly
sweet melodies, contrasting with a jazzy, perky waltz movement,
plaintive chanson and spirited
rondeau.
The choir sang Lloyd Webber's
Six Motets with spirit, accompanied
on the organ by John Dunford
with verve and style. These are six
powerful statements of faith, and
the organ accompanist who delivered
particularly fine support in
this item, took a well-deserved
bow at the finish.
How to follow all this? Why, by 18
love songs by Brahms in a testing
and energetic finale to a lengthy
and demanding programme. The
choir rose to the occasion, with
fine soprano passages and an effective
quintet of men's voices exhorting
the loved one to "gan
canny" in the meadow lest she get
soaked in his tears - very German,
full of angst and torment, and very
beautiful. The songs were accompanied
impressively on two pianos
by Olwen Cameron and Margaret
Heaton.
Reviewed by Irene MacDonald
2:30pm Friday 9th May 2008
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