The audience for the Guernsey Choral and Orchestral Society's Christmas concert, kindly sponsored by DHL Express, were an intrepid group. The aftermath of December’s snow still lingered, making for a skittery, halting journey from car park to concert hall. The challenge of the walk was justified, though, as this was a very special concert. On Friday 17 and Saturday 18 December the Guernsey Choral & Orchestral Society gave not only their traditional Christmas concerts but also the Guernsey premiere of Karl Jenkins new work Gloria.
It is far too easy to dismiss the music of Karl Jenkin's as a multi-cultural grab-bag of styles and sounds. The Guernsey Choral & Orchestral Society performance demonstrated that Jenkins in fact taps into something far more primal, a universal urge to make music, to sing, to praise.
From the first exuberant burst of The Proclamation: Gloria in excelsis Deo it was clear that this was going to be an assured performance from both choir and orchestra. Despite luxuriously rich orchestration Jenkin’s Gloria leaves no room for choral error, as many of the vocal leads are terribly exposed. Yet, led by conductor Helen Grand, the whole choir sung confidently, giving great spirit to the joyful proclamation of the first movement.
Choir and orchestra moved as one beguiling entity during the second movement, The Prayer: Laudamus te. Soft, lush singing by the sopranos and altos seductively counter-played with the strong, purposeful tenors and basses. The movement as a whole contrasted sharply with the great weltering swagger of The Psalm: Tehillim - Psalm 150. Grand conducted The Psalm with staccato punches, working the choir towards a monumental declamation of Hallelujah, as the singers beat their scores with their hands.
After the fierce, taunt rhythms of The Psalm came the cool peace of The Song: I’ll make music, beautifully sung by soloist Tina James, who was supported by smooth, understated orchestral playing. Reminiscent of a 30’s musical, tinged with a little southern spiritual, it is easy to see The Song becoming a familiar choral work.
The final movement, The Exaltation: Domine Deus, demonstrated the choir and orchestra’s range, moving from bursts of fierce, incandescent praise, to silken interludes, before introducing impish tempo changes where the choir delivered precise, controlled off-tempo singing, building to a cataclysmic and utterly gripping finale.
Matters took a turn for the festive in the second half of the Guernsey Choral & Orchestral Society’s Christmas concert. Edward Watson’s orchestral A Christmas Medley, conducted by Jean Owen, introduced a classic Hollywood feel, with muted trumpets whisking one away to chilly, steam filled New York streets.
During A Christmas Medley the School’s Music Centre Choirs quietly filed into the stage, joining the choir and orchestra to perform John Rutter’s Go, Tell it on the Mountains and Lydia Pugh’s Rejoice! (The Time of Peace is Here). Combining clear, focused singing with simmering, yet controlled enthusiasm, the Music Centre Choirs are in short a class act, in no small part thanks to the intuitive and attentive direction of their conductor, on this occasion, Rachel Wright.
It is far too easy to dismiss the music of Karl Jenkin's as a multi-cultural grab-bag of styles and sounds. The Guernsey Choral & Orchestral Society performance demonstrated that Jenkins in fact taps into something far more primal, a universal urge to make music, to sing, to praise.
From the first exuberant burst of The Proclamation: Gloria in excelsis Deo it was clear that this was going to be an assured performance from both choir and orchestra. Despite luxuriously rich orchestration Jenkin’s Gloria leaves no room for choral error, as many of the vocal leads are terribly exposed. Yet, led by conductor Helen Grand, the whole choir sung confidently, giving great spirit to the joyful proclamation of the first movement.
Choir and orchestra moved as one beguiling entity during the second movement, The Prayer: Laudamus te. Soft, lush singing by the sopranos and altos seductively counter-played with the strong, purposeful tenors and basses. The movement as a whole contrasted sharply with the great weltering swagger of The Psalm: Tehillim - Psalm 150. Grand conducted The Psalm with staccato punches, working the choir towards a monumental declamation of Hallelujah, as the singers beat their scores with their hands.
After the fierce, taunt rhythms of The Psalm came the cool peace of The Song: I’ll make music, beautifully sung by soloist Tina James, who was supported by smooth, understated orchestral playing. Reminiscent of a 30’s musical, tinged with a little southern spiritual, it is easy to see The Song becoming a familiar choral work.
The final movement, The Exaltation: Domine Deus, demonstrated the choir and orchestra’s range, moving from bursts of fierce, incandescent praise, to silken interludes, before introducing impish tempo changes where the choir delivered precise, controlled off-tempo singing, building to a cataclysmic and utterly gripping finale.
Matters took a turn for the festive in the second half of the Guernsey Choral & Orchestral Society’s Christmas concert. Edward Watson’s orchestral A Christmas Medley, conducted by Jean Owen, introduced a classic Hollywood feel, with muted trumpets whisking one away to chilly, steam filled New York streets.
During A Christmas Medley the School’s Music Centre Choirs quietly filed into the stage, joining the choir and orchestra to perform John Rutter’s Go, Tell it on the Mountains and Lydia Pugh’s Rejoice! (The Time of Peace is Here). Combining clear, focused singing with simmering, yet controlled enthusiasm, the Music Centre Choirs are in short a class act, in no small part thanks to the intuitive and attentive direction of their conductor, on this occasion, Rachel Wright.
The strength of the combined choirs was well displayed in Rejoice! (The Time of Peace is Here). Written by local composer and musician Lydia Pugh, it was originally commissioned by the Guernsey Grammar School & Sixth Form Centre for their Carol Service in 2009. Filled with intriguing rhythms the piece built to a soaring wall of sound, standing well in comparison to Jenkin’s Gloria.
There was a small theatrical diversion as George Foote once again donned night-dress and cap to narrate Carol-Ann Duffy’s Another Night Before Christmas, orchestrated by Philip Lane. Captivating in his evening attire Foote parried well with the orchestra, as the soft jazz of Stephen Le Prevost’s piano quietly stepped in and out of the story.
Foote was followed fast on by Santa, who led a wonderfully jazzy rendition of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, replete with a glitter trimmed tuba and swannee whistle. Played out to his sleigh by the orchestra with their version of Let it Snow! (Jule Styne arr. Charles Sayre), a voice in my ear captured the moment in one word; “groovy”.
A more traditional mood was restored with the choir and orchestra’s performance of John Rutter’s Child in a Manager. Light and airy in tone it contrasted well with the following rumbustious delights of Willcock’s Masters in this Hall. Moving at a cracking pace Masters’ is always a test of diction and timing for the choir, yet nerves and tongues both held admirably well.
Choir and audience rose to their feet for a fulsome rendition of O Come all ye Faithful (J. F. Wade arr. Willcocks) before the final volley of party poppers and streamers heralded the riotous, yet still in tune and time, encore of We Wish You a Merry Christmas. An evening well worth chancing the ice for.
There was a small theatrical diversion as George Foote once again donned night-dress and cap to narrate Carol-Ann Duffy’s Another Night Before Christmas, orchestrated by Philip Lane. Captivating in his evening attire Foote parried well with the orchestra, as the soft jazz of Stephen Le Prevost’s piano quietly stepped in and out of the story.
Foote was followed fast on by Santa, who led a wonderfully jazzy rendition of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, replete with a glitter trimmed tuba and swannee whistle. Played out to his sleigh by the orchestra with their version of Let it Snow! (Jule Styne arr. Charles Sayre), a voice in my ear captured the moment in one word; “groovy”.
A more traditional mood was restored with the choir and orchestra’s performance of John Rutter’s Child in a Manager. Light and airy in tone it contrasted well with the following rumbustious delights of Willcock’s Masters in this Hall. Moving at a cracking pace Masters’ is always a test of diction and timing for the choir, yet nerves and tongues both held admirably well.
Choir and audience rose to their feet for a fulsome rendition of O Come all ye Faithful (J. F. Wade arr. Willcocks) before the final volley of party poppers and streamers heralded the riotous, yet still in tune and time, encore of We Wish You a Merry Christmas. An evening well worth chancing the ice for.
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