Concerts are regularly reviewed in the Bournemouth Echo, New Milton Advertiser and Lymington Times.
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REVIEW OF GRANGE CHORAL SOCIETY CONCERT ON SATURDAY 29th APRIL 2017
Christchurch Priory was filled to the doors on 29th April for the Grange Choral Society's performance of Bach's St John Passion. Perhaps less frequently heard than his St Matthew Passion (which was composed some four
years later), this work has an even greater intensity as it recounts the suffering and death of Jesus and the
response of the religious authorities and the crowd who stood by. The choir was in excellent form, and the
accompaniment by the Ensemble OrQesta Baroque Ensemble was rich and colourful. No fewer than six soloists
are needed for the parts which bring out the actions, and the significance, of the various stages as Christ's trial,
suffering and death as they unfold. These were all sung with great sensitivity by Sarah Parkin (Soprano), Fiona
Mackay (Alto), Wagner Moreira (Tenor) and Thomas Humphreys (Bass), and Ricardo Panela (who sang the
words of Jesus himself), Pontius Pilate and the disciple Peter. Between them they sang with understanding and
feeling the arias which Bach uses to fill out the various aspects and the significance of this dramatic, but
historically true, sequence of events. It is not invidious to mention in particular the vital part played by soloist
Kieran White (tenor) who, in the role of "Evangelist", carried the weight of the whole narrative of the events as
they unfolded. Singing from the pulpit with great feeling, but also (remarkably!) a good deal of eye contact
with the audience, he brought to life the significance of Christ's death in a way which must have deeply stirred
those in the audience who are Christian believers, and maybe challenged those who are not.
The choir clearly caught the drama and significance of what they were singing, exercising great vigour where that was appropriate, and showing a degree of sensitivity at other points – notably, and movingly, in the chorale
which follows the moment of Jesus' death, recognising that, at a corporate and individual level, "more Thou
could'st not give me". The choir's conductor Marcio da Silva is to be congratulated for the controlled and
sensitive way that his leadership brought this work together. The whole atmosphere generated by what we
heard was beautifully and significantly enhanced visually by we saw: the cross on the chancel arch and the
illuminated ceiling way up in the east end. It seems certain that, for many, this event will have been a not-to-beforgotten experience.
DEREK BALDWIN - Lymington Times. |
