Gravesham Choral Society

REVIEW - Saturday 15th November 2003 - Bernstein "Chichester Psalms"/Bruckner "Mass in E Minor"

CHOIR CONTINUES SUCCESSFUL RUN

Gravesham Choral Society continued their run of successful concerts at St George's Church, Gravesend on Saturday evening. A large audience enjoyed performances of Bernstein's "Chichester Psalms" and a less frequently sung "Mass" by Anton Bruckner.

Bernstein's piece, composed for the 1965 Chichester Festival, provided many challenges for the choir, not the least of which was that it was sung in Hebrew. The centrepiece treble solo was ably sung by Alexander Stiggear from the Bromley Boy Singers and he was supported well by the four soloists from the choir - Jo Shaw, Erica Blaney, David Clark and John Harding. The accompaniment by solo harp, organ and percussion also added to the musicality of the whole performance.

Bruckner wrote his Mass in E minor almost exactly a century earlier in 1866 and the choir - now demonstrating their linguistic versatility by singing in Latin - was joined by an excellent 15-piece wind band. The six sections stretched the members of the choir to the full range of their registers, notably exploring the very lowest notes of the basses.

The audience were extremely warm in their appreciation of two complex compositions and the choir too joined in the richly deserved ovation at the end of the concert for the conductor, Alan Vincent.

Mention must be made of the great efforts made by the tenors to provide balance within the musical score, in spite of their relatively small number. It is one of Life's mysteries that there are so few men with tenor voices and this is a misfortune that affects practically every amateur choir. I am convinced that God must be a bass - were he a tenor, I'm sure that he would have made more of them!

Music-lovers are reminded that Gravesham Choral Society will again be holding two Christmas concerts this year at St George's on Wednesday, 17th and Thursday, 18th December at 8.00 p.m. The programme will include many well-known carols, many with audience participation, as well as Berlioz's "Shepherd's Farewell" and Finzi's "In Terra Pax".