Twinned in joint celebration (March 2011)

ST MARY’S Church was the venue for Henley Choral Society’s spring event, held on March 4 and conducted by Will Dawes. On this occasion their ranks were boosted by 25 members of Leichlingen Kantorei, visiting from Henley’s German twin town. So the pairing of Elgar’s From The Bavarian Highlands with Brahms’s Ein Deutsches Requiem, could not have been more apt.

Elgar’s From The Bavarian Highlands is a setting of six poems written by his wife Alice, influenced by holidays in Bavaria. A pretty collection of songs, they were delightfully performed by the choir and securely accompanied (as always) by pianist David Smith. The Dance was the most German amongst them, and spiritedly sung. False Love provided scope for the choir’s sensitivity and exposure for the altos. Lullaby brought the best out of the piano and, again, the altos. A Pilgrim’s Song had a beautiful theme, preceded by a particularly successful soprano and piano duet, while On The Alm let the tenors and basses shine. The last, Marksmen, was the most demanding, stretching all sections with its intricate woven passages and bringing the first part of the programme to a resounding close.

Work on Brahms’s deeply personal Ein Deutsches Requiem started in 1857, shortly after the death of his mentor Schumann, triggering a morbid phase in his life. He finished it in 1868, later adding Ihr habt Nur Traurigkeit in his mother’s memory.

In Selig Sind the absence of an orchestra (replaced by four hands on the piano), meant that the intense, personal undercurrent was less evident from the outset without the cellos’ poignant opening entry. But this did not detract from the choral performance. The subsequent choral entries were well judged, the dissonances nicely weighted and the quiet passages extremely well controlled.

Denn Alles Fleisch was all contrast, its dark opening and closing sections encasing a beautifully controlled, lighter middle section. There was a powerfully articulated climax and a jubilant allegro conclusion, expressive and full of optimism. David Smith and William Vann were adept in the handling of their duet.

Herr, Lehre Doch introduced solo baritone, Philip Tebb, as he cut in with a mellow baritone entry that suited the context well. The choir produced some satisfying texture, fully exploiting the extra depth provided by the additional singers. There were hints of Bach’s busiest scores. The interesting closing fugue hung together well, providing a firm ending.

Wie Lieblich, for chorus, is said to reflect Brahms’s humility. It opened with a lush choral aria and a lilting quality persisted throughout. It also had intensity, which the choir sustained as the pressure mounted and subsided, allowing it to reach boiling point at just the right moments. It was a major test for the sopranos, who responded with clear articulation and strong conviction, especially in the high register.

The profoundly personal aspects of the work were captured most tellingly in Ihr Habt Nun Traurigkeit, Brahms’s memorial to a loving mother-son relationship. Elizabeth Weisberg’s mature soprano voice did it full justice.

The choir was then fully challenged in Denn Wir Haben. For prolonged periods they held their ground magnificently, conversing with the baritone solo. Frenetic four-handed fingerwork kept the pianists busy, while the singers gave vent to some real power, though always under Will Dawes’ tight control. The fugue was beautifully sung, all voices taking confident turns with the lead. For a non-professional choir this was a tour de force and if at times they might have been flagging, it didn’t show.

Similar challenges continued into the final section, which opened with a slow and luxurious fugal passage. Always fluid, the choir responded intuitively to the rising and falling dynamics and crafted a beautiful ending.

Source: Henley Standard
Published on 21 March 2011