2010 – 2011
| Jenkins REQUIEM / Bach MAGNIFICAT | |
|---|---|
| Saturday 6th November 2010 7:30pm Royal Concert HallKARL JENKINS Requiem J S BACH MagnificatElizabeth Hull Soprano Nicola Semple Mezzo soprano David Walder Tenor Paul Charrier Bass Shakuhachi (Japanese flute) Clive BellQueens Park Sinfonia NOTTINGHAM HARMONIC CHOIR Conductor – Richard Laing Organ – Philip White-Jones YouTube links: |
The season opened with a radical combination of ancient and modern: Karl Jenkins’ Requiem, which itself intersperses the traditional words of the Requiem Mass with settings of evocative Japanese poems, and J.S. Bach’s exquisitely glorious Magnificat, written nearly 300 years earlier, in 1723. The Harmonic Choir under Richard Laing was joined by the excellent Queen’s Park Sinfonia for a concert which brought together two very different choral masterpieces, J.S. Bach’s joyful setting of the Magnificat, composed in 1723, and the highly original 2005 Requiem by Karl Jenkins, who has been called the world’s most frequently performed living composer.Together with soloists Elizabeth Hull, Nicola Semple, David Walder, Paul Charrier and Julie King, the Choir and Orchestra succeeded in bringing out the sense of gentle intimacy which Bach creates, as well as the feeling of overflowing happiness which suffuses the Biblical text. The Sinfonia’s trumpeters excelled, and Philip White-Jones provided nimble accompaniment on the Concert Hall organ.Jenkins has achieved huge popularity for his very individual way of combining different musical styles to create a distinctively accessible sound. His Requiem interweaves the traditional Latin text with five Japanese haikus on the theme of transience. It was immediately clear that the Choir loved this work with all its eloquent contrasts; there was beautiful control of texture and pace and a sense that the performers were opening up a meditative space for the listener. The haiku settings, with bamboo flute accompaniment, created a feeling of stillness. Grahame Whitehead |
| Handel MESSIAH | |
| Saturday 4th December 2010 7:00pm Royal Concert HallHANDEL MessiahMartene Grimson Soprano Andrew Radley Countertenor Richard Edgar-Wilson Tenor Matthew Brook Bass-baritoneORCHESTRA DA CAMERA Organ – Philip White-Jones Conductor – Richard Laing NOTTINGHAM HARMONIC CHOIR Due to illness, Countertenor Andrew Radley was replaced at short notice by Christopher Ainslie |
Nottingham Evening Post Each famous air was sung with stylish conviction. And the evening scored a double whammy with the soprano’s I Know that My Redeemer Liveth, straight after a Hallelujah Chorus that was an angelic frolic. This benchmark Messiah was a triumph for Handel. Peter Palmer |
| FAMILY CAROL CONCERTS | |
| Saturday 18th December 2010 7:00pm Wednesday 22nd December 2010 7:00pm Royal Concert Hall NOTTINGHAM HARMONIC CHOIROrgan – John Morehen Conductor – Richard Laing Conductor – Huw Thomas |
24 December 2010 a former Nottingham High School student, in memory of Lewis Payne, a former treasurer and general secretary of the choir. The Seven Joys featured the choir, led by Richard Laing, Thoresby Colliery Band, led by Huw Thomas, and the organ, played by John Morehen (who did much sterling work during the concert). It was well received and looks sure to become an established part of the repertoire for capable choirs. Thoresby Colliery proved themselves more than capable in their solo spots, mixing pop with swing and classical. They showed their dexterity during Glinka’s Russlan and Ludmilla Overture, their power with The children were invited on stage to sing Jingle Bells and each received a generous John Lewis voucher (the company sponsored the evening). The finale was Gordon Langford’s A Christmas Fantasy, featuring choir, band and organ on rousing form. Richard Ellis |
| Prokofiev ALEXANDER NEVSKY | |
| Saturday 12th March 2011 7:30pm Royal Concert HallPROKOFIEV Alexander Nevsky MUSSORGSKY Pictures at an Exhibition RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Russian Easter Festival OvertureHalle Conductor – Cristian Mandeal Susan Bickley Mezzo sopranoNOTTINGHAM HARMONIC CHOIR This was a Nottingham Classics concert. |
Royal Concert Hall Saturday 12 March 2011The Hallé’s all-Russian programme on Saturday night was not only a celebration of the musical might of huge combined orchestral and choral forces – but also of the wide array of individual talent on display. So it was good to see conductor Christian Mandeal bringing sections and individuals to their feet at the end to acknowledge the applause of a large and appreciative audience.Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (as orchestrated by Ravel) is one of the most vividly colourful orchestral showpieces. It ends with a bang in its depiction of the majestic Great Gate of Kiev (everyone playing at full steam with bells, gong, bass drum and cymbals to the fore) but also encompasses some intimate solos on the way. The Hallé’s principal trumpet, tuba player and saxophonist are just a few of those who shone in a performance that brought each picture vividly to life.This same attention to colour and atmosphere was evident elsewhere: in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Russian Festival Overture, for instance, with its powerfully evocative allusions to orthodox chant. But if you want full-powered Technicolor drama you would be hard-pressed to find a Russian work that packs a bigger punch than Prokofiev’s cantata Alexander Nevsky. Here the full-throated and intensely committed contribution of the Nottingham Harmonic Choir (never intimidated by the enormous orchestra) was an essential i ngredient in a performance that conjured up images that thrilled and moved. Susan Bickley was the soprano soloist, eloquent and moving in her lament for her lost lover. William Ruff |
| Southwell 2011 – Fauré REQUIEM | |
| Saturday 28th May 2011 7:30pm Southwell MinsterFAURÉ Cantique de Jean Racine BRITTEN Rejoice in the Lamb LAURIDSEN O Nata Lux GABRIELI Jubilate Deo ERIC WHITACRE Lux AurumqueConductor – Richard Laing Organ – Philip White-JonesNOTTINGHAM HARMONIC CHOIR |
This was a relaxing and reflective concert including one of the classical favourites, Fauré’s Requiem, a tranquil work ideally suited to the acoustics of Southwell Minster.
To complement this there was an eclectic mix of works ranging from early baroque to the present – some familiar, others possibly new discoveries for some members of the audience. |