Stortford music makers excel in ‘exhilarating’ performance of Verdi Requiem
Classical music fans braved the wind and rain from Storm Darragh on Saturday night to come out and hear Bishop’s Stortford Choral Society (BSCS) and the Bishop’s Stortford Sinfonia perform Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem, one of the most dramatic and tempestuous settings of the Catholic funeral mass ever written.
The sell-out concert at the Bishop’s Stortford College Memorial Hall was performed in memory of Edna Wright (1925-2023), a long-time Stansted resident who sang with the choir for over 30 years. Professional conductor Richard Balcombe was in the audience and sent the Indie his reflections...
I imagine most people’s initial thought of a Requiem Mass would be to expect something respectful and quite sombre – think of those by Fauré, Duruflé, Mozart and Brahms. Verdi’s is more like the 29th opera he never got round to writing – conceived on a huge scale for large choir and orchestra and four operatic soloists.
Much of the music is reminiscent of his own operas. The bombast and grandeur of the Dies Irae could come straight from Il Trovatore, the Agnus Dei recalls Violetta’s pensive aria in La Traviata and the Sanctus feels very much like the final fugue from Falstaff.
This was an exhilarating performance by BSCS and the Sinfonia. The piece is not performed that often because of the forces required – four bassoons, a cimbasso (a more rustic version of the tuba preferred by Verdi and Rossini in particular) and eight trumpets to name but a few!
Conductor Richard Brain marshalled his forces with aplomb. The operatic nature of the music requires much rubato, and he steered the orchestra carefully around the many corners.
The four soloists distinguished themselves throughout. The solo vocal writing is very exposed, with many passages unaccompanied and often in unison. Special mention for soprano Philippa Boyle for some beautifully floated high notes, mezzo soprano Felicity Buckland for a powerful Liber Scriptus, tenor Andrew Henley for a stunning Ingemisco and bass René Bloice-Sanders for a commanding Tuba Mirum.
However, the piece demands most from the chorus and orchestra. The choir’s attack and ensemble were exemplary, with excellent precision at all times. The dynamic variety from the very softest pianissmo to the loudest fortissimo was admirable and the sense of sheer enjoyment was palpable.
The orchestra shone in moments such as the Dies Irae, with its thunderclap bass drum strokes which had the foundations of the hall shaking, the tumultuous trumpets answering each other from afar and the deep sonorous chords of the four bassoons and trombones so rich and deep, and the magical moments in the Recordare and Lacrymosa were filled with a quiet passion.
Huge congratulations to everyone involved in this presentation – we are very fortunate to have so much musical talent very close to home in the town.
Next term the choir is preparing for a March performance of JS Bach’s St Matthew Passion. If you’re interested in singing with BSCS, please visit the website to find out more www.singwithbscs.org.uk or email comms@singwithbscs.org.uk.
