Committed performance
FOR Tudor Consort’s Britten Christmas celebration they choose two works in judicious programming, something that their director Michael Stewart is very good at.
From the first chords the spirit of Christmas was conveyed in the lovely settings in Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols. As the women’s voices spread throughout the space as they processed down the aisle with the melodic strains of Carolyn Mills’ harp supporting them, we knew we were in for a fine performance.
This is a celebratory work setting old and newer words into a cycle for upper voices and harp, here the women’s voices, but originally for male treble boys’ voices. It was beautifully sung by Stewart with solo lines from choir members; altos Andrea Cochrane and Megan Hurnard, sopranos Anna Sedcole, Anna Edgington and Erin King, well taken.
It was a joyful performance with attractive and variety enhanced by the harp sounds, including the fine solo harp Interlude.
The bigger more complex early work A Boy is Born was also well performed although here the whole choir did not display quite their usual level of assurance and confidence and the tonal blend in both basses and tenors had some voices more prominent than I would have liked.
The Theme and various Variations can seem a little disparate in style at times, but Stewart’s calm, encouraging demeanour meant that all the forces gave their best as he clearly indicated what he wanted. The seven young choristers from St Mark’s Church School made an attractive sound and held their own in the often conflicting vocal lines, in some of Britten’s imaginative settings, again mostly using ancient texts. And the solo lines from young treble Shashwath Joli were lovely.
Although there were moments of insecurity, it is a difficult work to carry off, and they all did it proud in a strongly committed performance.









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