Lagrime mie Barbara Strozzi From Rosy Bowers Purcell Lord What is Man
Phobus eilt mit schnellen Pferden BMV518 Bach Bist du bei mir BMV508
Ave Maris Stella Nicholas de Grigny
Malcolm Proud and Róisín O Grady
Oh ! for a quill, drawn from your wing To write the praises of th'Eternal Love; Oh! for a voice like yours to sing That anthem here, which once you sung above Hallelujah! from Lord, what is man Purcell
The sun was splitting the stones outside the lovely 18th century Christchurch Cathedral in Waterford and there was an audience of around 70 to hear local soprano, Roisin O Grady give a recital of Baroque arias accompanied by Malcolm Proud. The performance by the duo would have graced any major international venue and was available to Waterford audiences for a very modest entry fee. Firstly full marks for providing texts and translations to each item. Roisin and Malcolm elaborated with succint spoken introductions which added much to the enjoyment of the occasion. Her voice is very much suited to this repertoire, very clear and pure , effortlessly agile in the florid sections, every syllable clearly articulated and all delivered with her great artistry in conveying the emotion in the song. I particularly enjoyed the Purcell numbers throughout whether at the harpsichord or organ , Malcolm Proud's accompaniment was just right .
Perfect! This will surely be the recital of the year for me.
The Chamber Philharmonia of Cologne presented an attractive and diverse programme of baroque and classical repertoire at Christchurch Cathedral Waterford Saturday 20th August. Comprising seven strings and augmented with oboe for some repertoire, the ensemble played with verve and finesse and looked as though they were enjoying themselves on the platform with good interaction between the players. There was a freshness to the performance that gave no hint that they were in any way weary of the repertoire that they have performed countless times in many different venues all over the globe it seems. This group really gets around, an internet search indicated that a group under this name also performed in Christchurch, New Zealand. The repertoire is familiar but not hackneyed. There was a Vivaldi concerto, Tempesto di Mare, a concerto grosso by Handel , a divertimento by Mozart. A Bach sonata featured an excellent oboeist which added a refreshing stringency to the string timbre although delivered minus hallmark keyboard part. The soloist credentials of the cellist were very evident in the Tchaickowsky serenade which was perfect programming for a summer evening. In a programme of masterpieces, it was a charming string serenade,( the second work of the evening bearing the title Tempesta di Mare) by a youthful Rossini for string 2 violins, cello and bass that drew the strongest audience reaction of the evening . For their encore, the ensemble made a foray into 20th century repertoire with the Gardel's tango Por Una Cabeza familiar from the dance secene in the film Scent of a Woman. The rendition featuring the viola had more of a air of a genteel salon ensemble than a bordello slum band about it. This is the seventh visit by musicians under the aegis of New Philharmonic Orchestra of Cologne and one is impressed not only by their excellent musicianship and charm but also their ability to grow their audience. Waterford afficionados present included theatre director and arts critic, Pat McEvoy and Colm Long anchor man of Waterford Sea Shanty Group, Hooks and Crooks just returned from successful appearances at Festival du Chant Marine in Brittany. The confluence of elegance, both musical and architectural, in this beautiful 18th century neo-classical cathedral with the resonance created by a large appreciative audience made this a most enjoyable occasion.
One of the bastions of the English Anglican choral tradition, Exeter Cathedral Choir came to perform at Christchurch Cathedral, Waterford earlier this month. Although I didn't post near the date, such complexity and excellence of the performance in this most ambient setting should not go without acknowledgement in the list of posts. Making a splendid sight in brilliant red cassocks, there was less of the ancient and more of the modern in their nicely balanced programme. A progarmme listing was supplied and Andrew Millington introduced the sets with additional notes. The choir began with Palestrina, the musical voice of the Counter Reformation moving on to Byrd and Tallis and later to more modern settings mostly from the English tradition including a lovely modal setting by director Stephen Tanner, A Celtic Psalm. Dublin born stalwart of the tradition Stanford is included with works by Chilcott and Britten. The singers had time to draw breath during two fine organ solos by David Davies. Benedictus by Reger seemed to cast a spell on the listeners and no applause seemed a fitting acknowledgement to conclude. In contrast, the exuberant Carrillon-Sortie by intriguing post Romantic French composer Mulet which drew enthusiastic applause form the good sized crowd gave Davies the opportunity to pull out all the stops on the Elliot organ.
For an encore the choir drew again from the 20th century well in Hymn to the Mother of God by John Taverner. The choir sang with a brio and finesse that one would expect form their excellent reputation . The range of dynamics was a striking feature and the Cathedral almost seemed too small for the huge forte they made when at full throttle.
While the state and form generally of cathedral choral styles is a cause of concern and debate, one hopes that the Exeter Cathedral Choir will survive for another 800 years and demonstrated very clearly that while a stronghold of the tradition, they also are an important platform for 20th century and contemporary work.
Niall Crowley conducts the massed choir and orchestra at Tall Ships Opening Ceremony
Urbs Intacta Manet Waterfordia
Lend us your sails, your stories too,
Taller than skytails in the blue,
Stowaways to the future
Lend Us Your Sails.
Tall Ship Waterford 2011
The Tall Ships Festival was officially launched on Thursday afternoon in Waterford with a world premiere of a specially commisssioned cantata for choir and orchestra as the focal point of the opening festivities. The work commissioned by the Waterford Choirs Association features rich settings by five composers of poems by five poets, all with strong Waterford connections with the recounting of the city's maritime history a common theme. I love the pithy narrated interludes by Michael Coady set by Marion Ingoldsby. Even the titles hinted at the richness of the lines. Eric Sweeney's semiquaver rhythms of A Prosperous Port contrasted with the more stately metre of Greg Scanlon's settting of Calico Dress sung by mezzo soprano, Bridget Knowles. There was a rousing anthem, Come The Sails to finish with a setting of words by John Ennis in a setting by my contemporary Sue Furlong well known in liturgical composition and choral circles. It was good to see young poet Megan Nolan included in a setting of her poem, Child of Mine by Ben Hanlon, known throughout the land for his work with De La Salle Choir.
The choir clad in colour coded tee shirts and orchestra met for a final rehearsal before adjourning to the courtyard of Christchurch Cathedral where mountains of sandwiches were consumed and tea drunk before we returned fortified to the splendid William Vincent Wallace Plaza with fingers firmly crossed for fair weather. Enda duly arrived accompanied by his entourage and Derek Mooney bounded on to the stage to crack open the champagne , so to speak, on the procedings.
Crowd at the Plaza, Waterford
My spot in front of three tenors
There was an anxious moment when a technical problem with the microphone forced a restart but conductor Niall Crowley calmly waited for the nod and on the second go the 200 strong choir and 40 strong orchestra were off. There was the menace of rain threatening to spoil the party but it mercifully didn't spill.
Contemporary music by Irish composers does not often receive such a large audience for premieres. Afficionados I spoke to praised the innovative work drawing on Waterford's rich history and maritime heritage and it is good to see the city further cementing its reputation as a hot spot for new music. (See my report on Waterford New Music Week). Huge credit is due, I understand, to Niall Crowley of the Waterford ChoirsAssociation? producer Joan Dalton and the Waterford City Council for bringing this project from a good idea on paper to an actual performance. For myself, it is many years since I performed with an orchestra in Waterford and it was thrilling and a privilege to take an active part in this gala day in my home city.
Déise Abú! 'Magnificence of rigging above a mile of quay' Mark Roper
